Performance dinghy lines explained

505 Cockpit - each of these lines have different performance requirements © Upffront

With just a few different lines from leading performance rope makers, Gottifredi Maffioli, most dinghy sailors will have everything they need to optimise their sail control systems.

Compact 78 - General purpose lashings, strops and control lines

Compact 78 is a single braid, polyurethane coated, Dyneema® which is lightweight, low stretch and water repellent with excellent abrasion resistance. It is easy to splice and stays tight and firm even if bent around hard corners. It comes in sizes from 1.5 – 6 mm with 5 standard colours and can be used for a whole variety of purposes e.g. purchase systems, control lines, loop connections and general lashings.

Ultra 78 – Single braid halyards and high performance strops

Ultra 78 is a super-lightweight single braid, polyurethane coated, Dyneema® 78. With a relatively long braid angle and excellent construction quality, Ultra 78 is much stiffer and keeps its firm feel for longer than most other Dyneema® single braids. Used mainly for jib or main halyards (where no cover is needed), but also for high performance strops, loops and lashings. It is available in a large range of diameters from 2 mm upwards.

Superswift – Performance Sheets

Superswift is the most popular main, kite and jib sheet material for performance dinghies. It is a double braid line designed specifically for tapered sheets. Its Compact 78 core (see above) ensures it has minimum weight / stretch and is easy to splice and taper. The Dyneema® + non-slip fibre mixed braid cover gives excellent abrasion resistance with comfortable, consistent handling. It is popular on boats with high sheet loads where perfect grip is needed. There are four standard sizes: 5 mm, 6.5 mm, 8 mm and 9.5 mm, which are suitable for most dinghy and small keelboat sheets, for example: 470, 29er, 49er, 505, Nacra 17, J70/80, Dragon, Melges 24 etc.

Swiftcord – Non-tapered sheets and control lines

Swiftcord might just be the most copied rope design ever! It was invented by Luigi Maffioli, in the 1990s, and is still the best performing rope of its kind. The single braid Dyneema® has been blended with a mix of non-slip fibres to improve its handling and grip. It has been specifically designed for any line adjusted frequently by hand, including control lines or non-tapered main, jib and spinnaker sheets. It is not the stiffest line on the market but due to its fantastic handling it is an excellent all-round line which is available in diameters from 3 – 10 mm.

Olympicstar 78 – Halyards, kite sheets and precision control lines

Olympicstar is a high quality double braid line specifically developed, by Gottifredi Maffioli, for the teams at the 2008 Qingdao Olympics. The core is Dyneema® 78 with a very tight braided cover made of Dyneema® plus Cordura® non-slip fibres. The core provides excellent stiffness and the cover gives very good handling but has been designed to improve grip and abrasion resistance in high load cleats. It is most commonly used for halyards, kite sheets and precision control lines and is available in 4, 5, 6 and 8 mm diameters.

If you are in any doubt about your needs, you will not go far wrong with the following combination:

• Lashings and strops : Compact 78
• General control lines : Swiftcord
• Sheets : Superswift
• Halyards : Ultra 78 (no cover), Olympicstar 78 (with cover)

About Upffront.com

Upffront.com offers an extensive range of sailing hardware and rigging systems online for customers worldwide. Our focus is on sailing systems and our aim is to improve knowledge and accessibility to the latest developments in lightweight, composite rigging and promote lighter, faster, safer sailing for boats of all shapes and sizes from dinghies to superyachts. For more information visit www.upffront.com or e-mail