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.
