Winches haven’t seen changes like these in more than 20 years! Combining advanced technology and materials with the creative minds of Harken Italy engineers, Harken’s Radial winch line is revolutionary and breaks through to the next level in winch design.

Details sailors will appreciate: weight reductions between 25 and 50 percent, allowing smaller winches to carry higher loads; shaped gripping surfaces for reduced line wear; stress-free seasonal maintenance, and one-person installation with easy upgrades to power.

“We designed Radial winches from the deck up with three key ideas in mind: safety and long-lasting performance, streamlined installations, and hydraulic and electric upgrades as integral parts of the design,” said Technical Director Andrea Merello. “This all-new winch line represents a continuation of Harken’s goal of providing sailors with innovative ground-breaking products that will enrich their sailing experience.”

The drum’s gripping surface is shaped for each winch size and drum material, and features diagonal ribs (rather than textured materials) to maximize gripping power and greatly reduce line wear. When easing, other winches tend to push the line wraps up. The Radial grip works more like a screw, driving the wraps down when easing to keep them on the part of the drum where you have the best control.

The strong, one-piece stripper arm completely covers the winch top. The top does not rotate, preventing fingers and clothing from catching in moving parts-an important safety feature, particularly when operating powered winches. The arm can be adjusted to multiple positions after the winch is mounted and is shaped to smoothly feed line into and out of the self-tailing jaws. Under line pressure, the spring-loaded upper jaw adjusts to accept a variety of line sizes.