Year after year we ask...how can we make this boat faster? How can we keep up with how the leaders sail them today? How can we make what's not quite right...right? Just because it wasn't launched that way, doesn't mean we can't rig it that way.
Welcome to The Refit issue of At The Front, a quarterly digest of top news and stories from the world of Harken.
The world may be constantly changing
but one thing is certain; on my watch, our boat is going to get a little better every year.
By Steve Orlebeke--Engineering Manager, Pewaukee, USA
In my 20+ years at Harken, I’ve followed a large number of refits. I’ve helped design a lot of custom equipment fueled by the objectives of those refits to both cruising and racing boats. At Harken, some of our most successful catalog products began out of a design brief from a naval architect or project manager looking to improve ease of use or performance. New thinking regularly results in new solutions. What comes out of those refit projects is some of the most creative, most enjoyable work we do in the Harken engineering team. Refits…I say, ‘Bring ‘em on!’
In my own sailing life I’m involved in a refit for which there will be no finish line on the Camper Nicholson 38’ catch that my brothers and I inherited when our dad died. Of course, we do the regular seasonal maintenance, the brightwork, the bottom paint, the topsides, etc. We’ve done new sails and canvas—but that’s a regular part of ongoing maintenance. Then there’s the refit. The Quest (which is either seafoam green or pistachio, depending on who you ask) has had the headliner completely replaced and all of the bulkhead surfaces cleaned and repainted. The generator has been replaced with a significantly larger house battery bank and solar panel added to supplement charging. The engine has been rebuilt, exhaust system replaced, fuel tank and fuel system cleaned and replaced, and engine cooling water hoses and strainer replaced. We’ve also installed a new refrigeration system. During Covid we sanded 50 years of bottom paint down to the original fiberglass and put on a barrier coat. We also removed and replaced all of the through hulls and sea cocks…that job list will never end.
At the same time, I’ve been involved with a refit my friend Jim Murray has commissioned on a J/125 he bought about a year ago. These are great boats and are highly sought after. But there are still things that can be done to fit our sailing style and the kind of racing Jim wants to do. Jim also has a Pac 52 on which we’ve done the Caribbean 600, the Transpac, the Bermuda race, the Pineapple Cup and on which we plan to do the next Sydney Hobart. Jim also has a Botin 42, which he plans to compete in the rebirth of the Admirals Cup next Summer. He’s a busy, driven guy who is fun to be around both on and off the water. Sometimes he has multiple refits going on at the same time!
The J/125 work transpired last winter here in the Midwest. Having a project of that scope going on so close to our Harken offices gave us a unique opportunity to try out some new applications for existing hardware. It also stimulated some custom applications or adaptations too. I hope you enjoy watching some of the sequence of what was done. Nick Chadwick is a great project manager we really trust to keep everything running on time.
I hope you enjoy this issue of At The Front. Refits are just part of the commitment it takes to own a boat and keep it moving forward. Embrace them!
Going Hydraulic
The Maxi 72 Balthasar has a big racing schedule, including several major ocean races and crossings. It was time for an upgrade. Our team members at Harken ProCare were on the job to upgrade the vintage 2007 America's Cup Harken hardware system the boat was running.
2007 America's Cup technology means the system was built to be very light, as expected from any Cup campaign. Now, it's been spec'd out for a fully hydraulic system, and the added torque and speed needed a more reliable and higher-performing winch package. Cue the Air Winch 600s!
This configuration wasn't chosen lightly. For every winch and motor combo, a performance graph is made. The graph looks at line speed, maximum pull on each gear, and the expected overall performance from the winch when the hydraulic flow and pressure from the motor are correct. With this, a playbook is created - every maneuver is broken down. Each winch required for each maneuver is taken into consideration.
Once the Air Winch 600s were chosen and the performance analysis was complete - it was time to begin! Harken ProCare and Winch Works (a Harken ProCare Authorized Agent) got creative. They 3D printed a template of the Air Winch 600 base, which allowed them to proactively lay the foundations of the installation without the physical winch. This gave the project a head start, and everything was ready for installation once the winches arrived.
So, why do teams decide to go hydraulic or electric? Harken ProCare's Mark Gardner explains.
If a boat races under a rating system, it is rated based on different factors. Although it may have a rating adjustment for having powered winches, several factors, including a possible increase in performance, may be enough to make the change favorable. In this case, the team will require less crew because they do not need people on the pedestals. This has several positive effects. It reduces overall crew weight and repositions that weight where it is more effective on the rail.
Once the refit is complete, the real fun begins - sailing! For the Harken ProCare team, it's maintaining and managing the performance of the winches. Each winch is equipped with a gear sensor that tells the hydraulic system what gear the winch is in at any one time. This information allows the Harken ProCare team to fine-tune each gear's speed and maximum pull, optimizing performance, but also reliability. They can make sure that each gear is not overloaded or worked outside the recommended levels.
The hydraulic system allows a slow "ramp up" and "ramp down." This is the ability to control the speed at which the motor engages and shuts off when the operator pushes and releases the button. This is vital in managing the performance of the winch. Reducing the speed at which the winch initially turns once the button is pushed allows the load on the winch to build slowly and reduces any shock load to the gears and pawls inside. This is the same when the winch stops. Increasing the time it takes to fully stop allows the pawls within the winch to engage fully and spread the load across the ratchet gear. This is also important for the sail trim, allowing a more accurate and slower final trim.
What might be the coolest part of it all—other than a fully functioning hydraulic winch system, of course—is the QR code on each winch, which allows the team to view their customer portal and the final reports. The Harken ProCare Portal is the customer's link to all their service reports as well as all technical information regarding the Harken equipment onboard, whether that be Harken winches, hydraulics, or hardware.
Learn more about Harken ProCare at harkenprocare.com
Callisto - customized
Welcome to Larsen Marine in Waukegan, Illinois! Project Manager Nick Chadwick oversaw the refit of the J/125 Callisto. What's new onboard? Nick explains it all - start to finish.
Classic in a modern world
Harken’s Skip Mattos wanted one thing from this refit - stay true to the heritage of this Herreshoff S-Class, but bring the deck layout and gear into the modern world. Enjoy both Part 1 and Part 2 of this refit, as Skip talks through each decision and the reason behind it.
Part 1
Part 2
Small upgrades, big gains
You don’t have to have a keel to be a refit subject. Dinghies and sportboats get significant equipment refreshers all the time. Especially in solidly built boats like the 505, continuing attention to small upgrades can keep a boat competitive at the highest levels for many years.
From 1996-2017 Howie Hamlin competed in the J.J. Giltinan World 18 Foot Skiff Championship. He and his team became only the third World Champions from the Northern Hemisphere and the first to win back-to-back in 2002 and 2003. This year he won the 505 North American Championship. He’s truly a legend. Here, Howie reports on some new rigging and equipment thinking he’s adding to his 5-0 before shipping to the November ’24 World Championship in Australia.
Can you describe the overall scope of your 505 effort?
I learned to sail in a 505 in 1974 with Don Ayres while in college. I did my first World Championship with Jon Andron in 1978 and have done over 40 Worlds since. Being an amateur with business and other interests, I never burned out on sailing. I am as excited about my sailing now as I have ever been. Dave Hughes, who coached us this year, is a big reason for that. He has really polished every aspect of our program.
Typically, I sail three or four EuroCups, the Europeans, North Americans, Pacific Coasts, three or four California regattas, and the World Championship each year. Fortunately, I still have several world-championship quality crews like Andy Zinn, Jeff Nelson, Jon Bell, Caleb Paine, and others willing to sail with me. These guys all have regular jobs, so I need a bunch of them to fill my sailing habit. In the spring and summer, we train two evenings a week when I am in town.
How many boats/masts do you have? How many masts do you travel with?
I have four boats at home in Long Beach and one in Europe. They are one to 15 years old. The boats last for a very long time, they are all epoxy, cored and carbon. It is very rare to break masts, but we keep a spare here and in Europe. I have only had about 12 boats over the 50 years I have been racing them. The newest one is one year old.
I travel with one mast most of the time, two for Worlds.
Who are the major builders in the 505 Class internationally?
There are half a dozen molds around the world. But currently Ovington, in the UK, is building all the boats.
Do you have a traditional travel partner with whom you container/trail your boats?
I have done all the World Championships over the last 15 years with either Jeff Nelson or Andy Zinn. Both are incredible sailors that make me look good. They do most of the tactics. I am thrilled they still find time to sail with me.
Tell us a bit about your European boat. Where do you store it? Importantly, which is the ‘lead’ boat? Or is there no ‘lead’ boat and as you move from region to region, do you improve one with what you have learned in the other?
We keep the Europe boat with Ian Pinnell, of Pinnell Bax. Ian is a top competitor, past world champion and has a full service, sailmaking, chandlery, rigging shop, etc; everything for dinghies. He is located in the middle of the UK and stores about a dozen 505’s for a variety of owners around the world. He has a five boat trailer and delivers our boats to each event we are going to. Super easy.
If that is the case, is your European boat the one that has the most advanced rigging thinking in it?
Yes. Most people have their boats rigged by either Ian Pinnell or Holger Jess from Germany. They are both excellent packages that can win a Worlds. But I am a machinist by trade and built 18 505’s in 1978 & 79. It’s in my DNA to rig my own boats. I like to pick and choose the best ideas and constantly try to improve things. As a result, my boats are unlike everyone else’s. My focus on each system is simple, strong, low friction, and easy to use.
We understand that the next World Championship is in Australia… where is the event to be sailed and what do you know in advance about the venue?
Yes the 2025 Worlds will be in Adelaide, Australia. Typically we only arrive a couple days early. I sailed a Worlds there in 2005 with Fritz Lanzinger. It was a great venue. That’s about all I know.
What are the logistics associated with getting your kit to Australia?
We will ship our newest California boat along with eight other West Coast boats from San Francisco/Oakland in October. Once we get there, there’s just the two-day pre-worlds event before the Worlds. Speed is a never-ending year-round process. At the Worlds, we try to focus on racing.
What from the European boat are going to add to the boat in California?
Basically, we changed a couple of systems to make them more adjustable while racing. We created an infinitely adjustable jib lead system (in/out and up/down) that is very repeatable and easily adjustable on the fly. We also replaced our fore/aft pin tracks on the shrouds (mid mast bend control) to ball bearing tracks to make them adjustable while racing.
Editor’s Note: New ‘In/Out’ jib tracks have been installed on the round bar in the middle of the boat. Viewers will note Howie’s is the rare 505 that does not have a mainsheet pedestal/swivel mounted on the board box. He trims the main directly from the boom as is familiar from the 18’ skiff.
Like one, like all
When one RC44 gets an upgrade, the whole fleet gets an upgrade! That’s the beauty of identical one-design sailboat racing. RC44 trimmer Chris Hosking explains that upgrading to the Harken Air Winch 180 allows teams to push harder, drop later, and gybe faster.
The upgrade has made the racing even closer, matching the pace of the growing competitiveness of the class.
Photo: Nico Martinez
REFIT WITH NO INTERRUPTIONS
When one thinks "refit," they might think "time in the shed missing racing." That wasn't the case for Sabre 36 Pegasus. A refit for short-handed cruising with a creative plan made sure the boat was upgraded around the summer racing schedule.
safe. efficient. simple.
Is there anything more important than safety when racing or cruising? We don't think so. When Warrior Sailing introduced the Harken Battcar system onto their boat, they realized it wasn't only easier and faster, but fewer people needed to be out of the cockpit during the reefing process.