Drawing on years of experience manufacturing Andersen stainless steel winches in Denmark, Ronstan, the Australian equipment firm, has introduced its first-ever range of performance-oriented, lightweight aluminium winches.

The new Ronstan Orbit winches incorporate some of the best features of Andersen stainless steel winches. Easy to service, they require no tools for disassembly and maintenance. Thanks to fully machined aluminium drums and highly efficient gearing, they weigh significantly less and offer lower line entry heights than any other winch in their class, Ronstan claims.

These advantages are complemented by the drum’s smooth surface finish and Power Ribs; features borrowed from Andersen winches to provide the same impressive line grip and control with minimal rope wear.

Orbit winches are available in sizes 20ST, 30QT and 40QT. Sizes 30QT and larger are equipped with Ronstan’s patented QuickTrim self-tailer. This allows sailors to easily and safely ease line tension to make minor sail trim adjustments without removing the winch handle or taking the line out of the self-tailer.

Racing sailors can react and respond instantly to minor course corrections or changes in wind pressure and direction, says Ronstan, providing an unmatched advantage when frequent sail trim adjustments are required. Cruising sailors will also appreciate the simple convenience when adjusting sail trim.