Unfortunately, in the past it has often made a "ratchet-ratchet crack" - especially when big guys have used it to move their racing sails to the luff extrusion. This should be a thing of the past with the new version. We met product designer Uli Bitterolf.
What are the most important new features for the user? Firstly, there is the wear-free ratchet mechanism - probably the biggest innovation, which also caused the most headaches during development. Then the ropes are optimised to the pulley block and turned pulley blocks such as Gun Sails, Naish or Severne are also suitable and then the RDM and SDM versions are available in a damped Shox version.
What exactly can we expect from the new mechanism? The ratchet design is completely new. The high luff forces from the sail no longer put any strain on the ratchet. And this means that the mechanism will last much longer than the previous model.
It is noticeable that the ratchet no longer makes any noise when rigging. This is also due to the new ratchet mechanism and is certainly a very important point, along with a few other details, for the significantly improved strength. Previously, the toothing jumped suddenly and loudly from one tooth to the next on a steel spring when it was released. Now, the force is transferred to the mechanism in a controlled manner using the lever in the hand. This reduces the stress considerably, even if some people will miss the "sound".
What does that mean at the end of the day? We have now carried out many long-term tests and are confident that the Power.XT 2.0 will withstand the stresses and strains of trimming large racing sails in the long term.
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
Stephan Gölnitz comes from Bochum and had Holland as his home windsurfing territory for many years before moving to Munich in 1996 for the job of test editor at surf magazine. The materials engineering graduate worked as a surf instructor on the Ijsselmeer during his studies and competed for several seasons for the Essen sailing team in the Surfbundesliga and the Funboard Cup. He completed a traineeship at surf-Magazin in the test department and since then has actively accompanied almost all tests on the boom and for more than 10 years also as a photographer. Stephan has covered many thousands of test kilometers, mainly on Lake Garda and in Langebaan, but also in Egypt and Tobago. He gets his hands on over 100 new sails and boards every year as his company car. Privately, he prefers to surf with a foil on Lake Walchensee or “unfortunately far too rarely” in the waves. SUP is Stephan's second passion, which he pursued for several years at numerous SUP races. Today, he prefers to paddle on river tours with family or friends - even for several days.
