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Hallberg-Rassy, Seldén Mast and Elvstrøm Sails are tweaking the concept of cruising by blending it with a great deal of performance.

Hallberg-Rassy has delivered boats with furling masts for over 35 years. Now a vast majority of new Hallberg-Rassy yachts are equipped with in-mast furling. On models from 50 foot, a furling mast is even standard equipment.

In the 90’s when sailmakers developed sails with vertical battens and a positive roach, the reduction in sail area became less dramatic and furling masts were no longer that much of a compromise with the performance of the boat.

A production break-through now makes it possible for Seldén and Hallberg-Rassy to offer effortless performance. With carbon fiber furling masts designed for a furling mainsail with a big headboard and a full roach, the concept is now taken to a new dimension, and it is done in conjunction between Seldén Mast and Hallberg-Rassy who shares the same ambition of providing effortless sailhandling for the demanding and performance oriented sailor of a larger yacht. The first carbon furling mast from Seldén goes to the just launched all-new Hallberg-Rassy 50 and it comes with electric drive and a hydraulic outhaul for push button operation. New at Hallberg-Rassy is also a mast jack, giving hydraulic controlled rig tension not possible with just turnbuckles on a yacht of this size.

With carbon in-mast furling, a big headboard, vertical battens, a big roach, a headsail with vertical battens and additional sail area in the aft end, the sail area is no less than 21 square meters larger than on the standard boat, keeping with the same I, J, P and E measures. Add to that new materials for the sail and added know how by the sail maker how to create really good furling sails who have an efficient shape and a long service life, and you take push button performance to a completely new level.

“- The bare carbon mast section is 39% lighter than corresponding aluminium section which will reduce the heeling and the weather helm to a minimum and improve up-wind performance. The lighter mast also makes for less pitching and pumping in choppy and big seas and the whole set-up will give a richer over-all sailing experience” Magnus Rassy says.

“- Larger boats with small crews call for smart sail handling and we are constantly pushing our product development in that direction” says Seldén’s CEO Peter Rönnbäck and continues; “- The benefits of carbon fiber masts have been appreciated by racing sailors for decades so why wouldn’t a cruising sailor be offered the same deal?”