Solo Sail Flattener Boom Kit

A simple low cost Rooster kit to add a Solo Sail Flattener to your existing Olympus Selden Boom.

September 2023. Solo Class Rule F4.3 FITTINGS.

This change has been brought in to lift the end of the boom when sailing with a raked rig. The issue is that when the wind gets up and the kicker loads increase it is getting very difficult to get under the boom when tacking.

On open waters sailors have been releasing the kicker before tacking to reduce the risk of getting wedged. This is all well and good when you have plenty of time but when sailing in confined spaces, small waters or approaching the windward mark things can get difficult. This rule change has not been introducing to improve performance just to lift the boom in these situations. Several sail makers have stated that this change can be added to existing sails without the need to purchase a new sail. The boom fittings kit from Rooster is something that can be easily retrofitted.

The controls for adjusting the flattener (reefing point) are to be restricted to the boom and cannot be led back into the cockpit, this is to keep things simple and costs down. This is not an performance enhancement. The type of controls is optional you can have pulleys cleats etc, as long as it is only on the boom (see below photo)

This new kit from Rooster is a complete kit of parts and fixings to retro fit a 4:1 system to an existing Solo boom (Using a the Selden Olympus boom only - as this has the extra sheave built into the outboard end).

NOTE: The new flattener sail eye would need to added by a local Sailmaker to the sail.

Above image shows the exit hole and control line with cleat fitted to the boom. Use the existing kicker eye to attached the block.

The kit parts comprise of:

1 no. SELDEN 402-101-01 BLOCK, BBB20 SINGLE, STRAP

1 no. HARKEN 2698 18MM FLY CARBO T2 SOFT-ATTACH BLOCK - OPEN CENTRE (A length of Spectra line with a polyester cover is included so it can attached to the existing kicker boom eye - See: HERE how to attach the rope to the block.

1 no. CLAMCLEAT CL211 MK2AN RACING JUNIOR MK2 - ANODISED - a small slot / hole 4mm wide, will be required to allow the rope to exit - drilled under the boom.

(Suggest the front under boom exist hole and cleat is located between the Solo kicker and the main sheet take off points).

2 no. ROOSTER SDC CONTROL LINES for the external and internal boom control lines. (Supplied rope colour may vary).

1 no. ALLEN TUG HANDLE

2 no. SELF TAPPING SCREW GAUGE 8 X 1" POZI CWK HEAD - A4 STAINLESS STEEL (Used to affix the CL211 cleat to the underside of the boom).

Above images showing the new exit hole for the control line and the CL211 cleat attached.

NOTE: As as an additional extra you could NOT use the existing boom spare outhaul sheave block, and fit yourself a s/s sheave block that would have to be cut into the boom. A typical sheave block would be the Ronstan RF15711 

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