Convert A Tuff Luff Foil To Roller Furling

[Ducati]

Looking for a solution + approximate cost to convert a racing foil over to a roller furling system.

Right now the vessel has a race foil "Tuff Luff" and we want to know of a simple solution to switch over to roller furling when we want to go cruising.

Ideally we would like to know if there is a dual system that is easy to switch back and forth. By easy we mean in under 15 minutes.

Thanks

 

[Stu Jackson]

As I understand it

the foil is simply a way to avoid sail hanks and is placed on the forestay permanently.

Roller furling (or roller reefing) gear includes the bottom swivel and a top swivel, plus a foil.

The only thing they have in common is that the sail uses a (usually) #6 luff tape on the luff of the jib to insert into the foil's grooves, regardless of which foil (or extrusion) you have installed.

So "converting" the tuff luff is not so much the question, rather, what furling gear are you going to install. Most all furlers come with their own integrated extrusions (foils).

 

[Ed Schenck]

Let us understand. You want to keep the foil and switch to a furler in fifteen minutes? Or do you mean change sails in fifteen minutes? The first seems impossible, the second maybe. If you had a furler with a removable drum then you could change sails relatively fast. But there is the time involved to prepare for racing by removing the furler drum. If you could install a furler with the drum below deck I think that you could get performance close to the 'Tuff Luff'. Changing a sail on a furler is about the same as with the foil I think. Personally I can't imagine folding my jib with a 46' luff everytime I put her away.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Recent posts

Ed, "Ducati" has been posting asking "what is the best" type questions for a few months now. I went back and looked at some of his questions and I think he already covered this ground when he asked about furlers a few months ago. Perhaps he still doesn't understand the difference between foils and furling gear.

 

[tommays]

A lot of the systems have split drums that are easy to remove (harken)

A lot of newer race boats have a furling jib which makes spinnaker work a lot easier

 

[s sauer]

You will need to remove the TufflLuff plastic foil extrusion and prefeeder and replace it with the furling system and its metal luff groove system. Then there is the issue that racing sails cut for a TuffLuff would usually be 'deck sweepers' , while a roller furling genoa needs a much higher cut clew in order to furl properly. In other words you are in for some major expenses to make the switch to roller furling.

 

[Joe]

Ducati.... do a little basic research and you'll find that the tuff luff is a fixed headsail foil that is not intended to rotate around the stay. To my knowledge it is not appropriate for a roller furling application. Foils designed for roller furling applications have internal bearings to facilitate their rotation under load. The rigid, alloy extrusions that comprise the sections of the foil are tightly linked together, providing great resistance to twisting.

Sell the tuff luff and buy a furling system with a removable drum.

 

[Alan]

This is the exact issue I faced when purchasing my boat. I wanted the ability to switch from cruising mode to race mode as easily as possible. Fortunately my boat has a below deck furler that allows me to use the extrusion as a race foil in race mode and the ability to quickly change sails (Tuff Luff style) and use decksweepers, plus the convenience of roller furling the cruising sails when I need to.
Joe and Stu are right. You can have either a roller furling system which is convertible or the Tuff Luff. But you cannot make the Tuff Luff furl a sail.