Photo credit: Marcel Herrera
The Cable Free Code Zero has significant performance advantages. Made from Elvstrom’s EPEX laminate membrane, which is fully guaranteed, it has strengthening yarns in the load lines enabling the sail to be furled, without a heavy cable. It can be flown with significantly less halyard tension than a cabled Code Zero, which enables the sail to project further forwards. This helps create a straighter, (non-flapping) leech and means the sail works across wider sailing angles too.
Following a season of testing with the Lady Mariposa Racing Team, on board their Ker 46, it has contributed to their success with overall victory in the 2018 RORC Offshore Points Championships. Team Manager, Dan Hardy gives the sail a big thumbs up, reporting, “The new Cable Free Code Zero is a huge step forwards for these furling sails. Without the heavy cable in the luff, the sail is free to project positively, massively improving the flying shape of the sail. We are finding the Cable Free Code Zero much easier to furl and unfurl compared to our previous sail with a cable. It’s very versatile, with a massive cross-over in our downwind sail wardrobe.
Significantly for both racing and high performance cruising yachts, removing the cable brings many other benefits. It reduces both the additional expense and weight of having a heavy cable on board. The sail is lighter to move around. Plus, storage is easier too as the sail can be packed into a bag without issues of having to snake and store a very stiff cable down below decks.
Hardy points out, “The sail is much easier to store in the bag. And also, to get it on and off the foredeck as the furled sail can bend and be flaked much more easily, than with a cable.”
Additionally, being able to fly the sail with far less halyard tension than conventionally used to get the pointing angles from a cabled sail has other benefits. This reduces the loads required on your mast, halyard sheaves or the need for reinforced bowsprits and fittings, potentially saving on equipment maintenance and build costs too.
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