New block on the block
We first saw the new Barton Victory Heritage collection of ash-cheeked blocks when Barton’s Suzanne Blaustone visited our stand at Southampton Boat Show. At that point the blocks were still in development but we liked the concept and the no-nonsense approach. The ash cheeks (varnished or plain) are for cosmetic purposes only – they cover a stainless-steel cage which holds the ball-bearing sheaves. These are 25% more efficient than a plain sheave according to Barton’s Paul Botterill: “We also use more ball bearings so there is less load across the sheave.” Four sizes, 30mm, 45mm, 60mm and 80 mm cater for ropes from 8mm to 14mm and loads from 245 to 1200kgs – or a dinghy up to a schooner. “Sailing classics is a growing area and so we produced this high performance range for the discerning sailor – they are not just for racing,” Suzanne told CS. Read about them online: HERE
Prices are from £60
www.bartonmarine.com
