maffioli or rooster mainsheet?

M

matt182763

pwner of n00bs
hi all,

so i was just looking into buying a new mainsheet and brought it down to either the maffioli 7mm swiftcord or the rooster 7mm polite. or maybe even in 8 mm? anyway so i just wanted to hear your imput and suggestions on what line to buy.

Thanks,
Matt
 
Well the last time I used my rooster mainsheet was in december, I thought it was great but when I tried the salsa 6mm line! Oh my god it was AMAZING! nowadays I use my rooster as a tow line, yet it is always there as a spare! If you have seen my other post, I would like to try the Samson Apex line as a mainsheet, it seems very soft and it floats!
 
Maffioli or Rooster: So last millennium :D

Bzzz is the fave right now and it's (a lot) less expensive to boot.
 
yea i have heard about bzzz, but I hear that their 7mm feels alot like 6mm and would not be good in upwind upwards of 10-15 knots, is this true? does anyone know how the 8mm feels?
 
matt182763 said:
yea i have heard about bzzz, but I hear that their 7mm feels alot like 6mm and would not be good in upwind upwards of 10-15 knots, is this true? does anyone know how the 8mm feels?
Click to expand...

I used the 8mm for the 1st time in our last club race -- from all I'd heard about the Bzzz lines I thought it was just what I needed to really get up to the next level. I was sorely disappointed by its performance in light air - I really did terrible ...

but seriously it is a very nice line and even in light air it didn't hang up at all in the blocks. Much smoother running than my rooster sheet.
 
I have the Bzzzzz for my heavy air mainsheet. Gotta say... I'm not completely sold. It seems to me that the Bzzzzz tangles easier than the Polilite. The Bzzzz is easier on the hands thou.

I'm very interested in the Maffioli. Some of the lead mine sailors around here swear by the stuff. I'm seriosly thinking about getting one just to see how it works.
 
yea im just looking for a good mainsheet for when i gotta start hiking, cus the 6.5mm southern lines i have right now just aint cutting it. so what thickness would you suggest? 7 or 8 mm?
 
i just use some marlow stuff 6mm and its great. i used to have 7mm rooster but it was just too thick, and i dont see how you guys can talk about 8mm mainsheet! thats just huge!
 
I can't comment on the Maffoli, but I have sailed with the following the past 6 months
1/4" Marlow Marston (the late 70's and 80's "standard" for Laser mainsheets)
7mm Rooster
8mm Bzzz

Note the following for all my comments:
I don't use deck cleats - don't have them on my boat.
Prefer not to wear gloves if I can.

The thin Marlow is great in very light air (0-7) which I unfortunately happen to have a lot of during summer months. It will allow the boom to run out easier when rounding the top mark, but most importantly, when sailing downwind, the feedback from holding the sheet when a puff hits is much higher then with the other two lines. This is really important to minimize distance sailed to the bottom mark. In breeze over 12knots, it's a pain (literally) to hold. Gloves for sure if I haven't had time to toughen up my skin. It also tangles the most of all three when thrashing around in the cockpit - not an issue in light air. It is UV sensitive, so make sure it doesn't live in the sun when not in use.

Rooster is an excellent choice IMHO for a "cover all conditions" line. It's not quite as sensitive in the light air as the Marston and it does require gloves in long heavy air races for me, but if you have to have just one line, this is what I would use. It is noticeably less likely to tangle then the other two as long as you take the time before each race to make sure it's not twisted.


I tried the 8mm Bzzz line this summer to see if it it would be a better choice for me in long heavy air days. Once the manufacturing slipperyness wore off, I can say that yes, it's easier to grip and hold for long periods of time compared to the Rooster line and I was able to sail w/o gloves. It tangles a little more then the Rooster but much less then the Marston line. It does not run thru the blocks as easily downwind as the other two when the wind is under 8 knots and therefore the feel of puffs is not as good.
 
i just dont see how you can sail with an 8mm sheet its just too thick, mind you i though the rooster 7mm was bulky.

i love my marlow only when it gets above about 20 knots a put some gloves on
and its great for dw when u switch ur ratchet off

of and to get rid of the slipperyness put it in the washing machine with a bit of poweder!!
 
49208 said:
I can't comment on the Maffoli, but I have sailed with the following the past 6 months
1/4" Marlow Marston (the late 70's and 80's "standard" for Laser mainsheets)
7mm Rooster
8mm Bzzz

The thin Marlow is great in very light air (0-7) which I unfortunately happen to have a lot of during summer months. It will allow the boom to run out easier when rounding the top mark, but most importantly, when sailing downwind, the feedback from holding the sheet when a puff hits is much higher then with the other two lines. This is really important to minimize distance sailed to the bottom mark. In breeze over 12knots, it's a pain (literally) to hold.
Click to expand...

yea i found this to be the case with my 6mm from southern lines, so it looks like im going for 7mm something.... :D
 
im personally use rooster line and have found it to be great as long as before you go sailing you run a hand along it and make sure it is straight and not bend or kinking a bit. that will prevent possible problems from hapening more so. and with the maffioli i have used it on some keel boats and have found that the stuff really burns your skin if you are not wearing gloves. it is good line thought. i wouldnt really think of using it for a mainsheet
 
i settled on the rooster mainsheet about 2 weeks ago now, and it is much better than my old one. i got it in 7 mm and does not tangle, plus it is thick enough so that it doesnt slip out of my hand when going upwind.

thanks for the suggestions!

Matt
 
I have both the rooster 7mm and 6mm. Use the 6mm in the light (under 10 knots) and 7mm when it gets breezier. Both are really good at staying tangle free as long as you dead end them when rigging to remove any kinks. I don't wear gloves and don't find either line is an issue for my hands - even the few occasions I have used the 6mm in strong winds.
 
Having used the swiftcord two seasons ago for racing, I found it too heavy unless in medium to big breeze.

Marstron this last year was pretty solid, but it twisted easily. Nice price point.

Going to go to 8mm Bzzz for racing this coming year. Lots of customers are going to that because of the price as well.

Rooster is great stuff, the 6mm runs real well in light air, but it has that premium price.
 
So does nobody think too highly of the G-xd mainsheet? I think it is pretty decent though the rooster 6mm polilite is best for light winds, I think that's what they all used at the olympics.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top