During a major refit in winter and spring 2026, MORFRAC upgraded the mainsail handling system on a cruiser-racer ahead of the season. Our job was to make the new hardware work with the new sail and the existing spars, while coordinating with the teams working on both.
Getting the details right across the refit
We worked closely with the sailmaker, who was making a new mainsail and headsails, and with the rigger, who was servicing the mast and boom. The yacht designer helped us establish the original specifications and understand what had changed over the years. We even coordinated with the painter to make sure the coating thickness was accounted for wherever it could affect fit and clearance.
Cars, lock and track
The upgrade covered the mainsail cars, including articulated batten cars, gaff lock and switch car system. We engineered a custom titanium track section to withstand the load where the gaff lock engages: the lock and track had to be considered together, both for how they fitted and for how the load passed into the mast.
Less friction through the spars
To reduce friction in the line runs, we engineered new sheaves for the mast and boom, fitting a combination of roller and ball bearings into the tight confines of the existing sheave housings. A few custom morfblock. completed the hardware package.
If your mast and boom are coming down for a refit, it’s a good time to look at the mainsail system as a whole. We can assess what’s already on board, identify what’s worth servicing, and engineer and manufacture the parts that need an upgrade. If we don't have the right solution in our catalogue, we'll make one for you!
We’ll coordinate the details with your refit team so the hardware fits the boat, the sail and the way you and your crew handle it.
Tell us what you'd like to improve.
We’ll take it from there.
