Looping or threading: This makes trimming easier

Looping instead of threading: often quicker, but not always easier

In the classic trimming method, the rope is guided through three pulleys on the sail and two pulleys on the extension. With the looping method, one end of the rope remains attached to the extension, whilst the other is secured in the cleat. The remaining loop is threaded through the sail fitting and placed over a loose pulley on the extension. Only two of the three pulleys on the sail are used in this method.

The special Severne Cyclops is designed entirely around this principle. It has just one pulley and features a reinforced handle loop through which the line can be pulled without the need for any additional trimming aid. In practice, attaching it is quick. However, the length of the loop is limited: to thread it through the sail fitting, the sail must already be pulled down relatively far along the mast and held in place with one hand. This can be a bit fiddly when rigging the sail.

The system also has its limitations when it comes to the subsequent trimming. The handle loop has to be pulled quite far. When high trimming forces are involved, this eventually becomes rather unergonomic, and smaller people may not be able to reach the full length of the pull. This could be improved with a shorter rope overall, but that would make it more difficult to attach.

Looping: Suitable for smaller sails with moderate trim forces

The concept works well with small wave and freestyle sails up to around 5.0 m². With these, the luff tension is usually lower, and the sail is easier to pull down the mast. With larger sails that generate high trim forces, however, pulling on the loop quickly becomes uncomfortable. On the 6.0 m² sail we tested, the loop cut noticeably into the hand despite its plastic coating.

Significant differences between the ropes

With the classically braided Uni.XT, which features a coarsely textured rope, an alternative smooth white Dyneema rope noticeably reduced the required pulling force. The difference was immediately noticeable, even without measuring the force. However, the smooth surface has a drawback: if the line is wrapped around the hand, it can cut into the skin more deeply. A trimming aid should therefore be used, particularly when high trimming forces are involved – regardless of whether the line is threaded or looped.

“Even when doing loops, you can quickly grab the trapeze hook to pull yourself up.” Stephan Gölnitz, surf tester

Head-to-head comparison: Loop variant only slightly worse

A direct comparison between the looped Cyclops and the classic threaded extension (both with Dyneema lines) revealed a surprisingly small difference. Whilst using a smooth line did require slightly less force with the classic pulley system, the advantage in the test was only around ten per cent. Fewer pulleys therefore do not automatically result in a significant increase in force. At very high trimmings, the disadvantage of the looped system is therefore not an increased pulling force, but primarily the poorer ergonomics when pulling. A trimming handle or trapeze hook is far more comfortable to grip than a rope loop, even if it is sheathed.

A good solution: looping, but with a trimming aid

The test shows that, when looping, the main priorities are faster attachment and easier rope handling. However, no advantage was found in terms of the required trimming force. With high luff tensions, a trimming aid (handle, harness bar) is advisable in any case. With a tensile force of around 80 kg, one would not want to pull either a handle loop or a rope wrapped around the hand using only manual strength. In this video, we show you, amongst other things, how to quickly make a loop for the trapeze hook that is easy to open.

Tips from surf magazine

• ​Keep an eye on the ropes: A smooth, white Dyneema rope can noticeably reduce trim forces. However, it should not be wrapped round the hand when pulling hard.
• Try looping with small sails: When wave and freestyle sailing with low luff tension, the system can save time and make rigging up easier.
• Adjust the length of the loops: The loop must be long enough to fit comfortably through the sail fitting, but should not force the hand into an unnecessarily awkward position when trimming.
• Use a trimming aid with large sails: With freeride and freemove sails ranging from around 5.8 to 6.0 m², the forces can become so great that trimming by hand becomes uncomfortable.
• Making flexible use of extensions: For extendable lines, a plastic sleeve can be slipped onto the line at a later stage if required. This can improve the comfort of the grip. With the Cyclops, you should also check whether the reinforced grip loop suits your hand size and preferred trimming style.

Worst-case scenario: looping in the wrong configuration

A reader told us that his sails were damaged whilst looping with the Power.XT. Two factors are likely to have contributed to this. Firstly, the extension and roller block were not compatible. The Power.XT is designed for sails with a roller-aligned pulley system, such as those from Duotone, NeilPryde, GA and others. With sails featuring a block rotated by 90 degrees (Severne, Naish, etc.), the fitting becomes extremely twisted relative to the sail and the tension is distributed very unevenly across the sail. Even though this significantly increases the trim forces – and that’s the second point: the Power.XT offers such a good gear ratio that you don’t even notice it.

Conclusion

If you’re setting up small sails with moderate luff tension, you’ll find that using loops offers a noticeable advantage. With larger sails, it’s almost less important whether you use threaded or looped lines. What matters more is a suitable line, a comfortable line-routing system and a suitable trimming aid.