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Profurl
One Man…one boat…around the world…as fast as possible…alone.
 The Around Alone is described as the longest, hardest race for an individual in any sport… The Ultimate Challenge. The five legs of the course take you to the most remote places on earth and the limits of human endeavour. “Competitors take on the frustrating calms of the doldrums & the savage storms and mountainous seas of the Southern Ocean; and whilst at sea they carry out the tasks normally covered by a crew of 10+ other round the world races, namely: Skipper, Navigator, Electrician, Engineer, Tactician, Cook, Sail repair and Communications manager to the outside world. In all definitions of the word these competitors are truly exceptional individuals.”*
 When you take on a project like racing solo around the world, you must think of every detail when designing, building and racing the boat. Successful single handed yacht racing is all about managing the systems on the boat to keep it moving as fast as possible and ProFurl was definitely up for the task. The ability to reef quickly and change sails safely is the key to keeping the boat moving quickly - a winning combination. The durable construction of ProFurl was key to withstanding the 70 + knots winds and 60 foot seas that we saw during the 2002/ 2003 Around Alone. Don’t trust your sails to anything else.
Derek Hatfield
Skipper
Open 40 Spirit of Canada
3rd Place in Class II
Around Alone 2002/03
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Installing an In-Boom Furling System
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<< Removing the rivets from the original gooseneck. The mast was laid out on the wharf at South Shore Marine for easier access.
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<< The gooseneck with all the rivets removed.
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<< Some of the rivets remained and they were either pulled out using pliers or pushed in to be retrieved at the bottom of the mast.
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<< The mounting area for the new in-boom system is now clear of obstructions
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<< The new gooseneck articulations were “auditioned” for height placement in relation to the old boom height.
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<< The gooseneck plates were cambered at a local machine shop to mirror the profile of the mast shape. The first rivets were installed!
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<< A pop rivet gun was purchased at a local hardware store and worked fine for recessing the conical head pop rivets
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<< A large clamp was used to make sure the pop rivet would not lift the plate during installation. As you can see, additional leverage was required for the rivet gun.
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<< Whenever it was felt that a rivet did not install properly, it was drilled out and replaced.
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<< All of the gooseneck plate rivets are caulked and installed. This is also a great shot of the striped extrusion at the top of the gooseneck articulation that will insert into the feeder extrusion.
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<< Not only can you see Al’s great legs, but a shot of all the brackets attached to the mast including the boomvang
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 << The boomvang is placed as close to the block plate to prevent removal.
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Displayed are the various attachments/articulations for the boomvang.
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<< This shot allows you to see the furling mandrel and boom drain. The mandrel turns on bearings that fit into a holder. A drain hose may be connected to the threaded hole in the bottom of the boom to be used to fill a tank or to guide runoff.
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 << The feeder profile and boom extrusion are clearly visible, as well as the articulation brackets and connectors for each 2 meter extrusion.
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 << Displayed in these two photos are the luff profiles which extend up the full length of the aft side of the mast.
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<< The sheave box at the top of the luff profiles will fit your existing halyard and attaches with two articulation brackets. Placement is crucial to make sure your raised sail does not impede the backstay.
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