Harken, putting the 'jazzle' on board your sailing boat

by Nancy Knudsen on 2 Apr 2013

This? Nothing! Wait till you see my winches! SW

Who could have thought it? Zebra coloured winches, or Leopard if you prefer. For evening parties, perhaps, you could choose Glitter to go with the lurex in your sailing shorts. 'Well,' said well known winch manufacturer Harken, 'if Apple can do it, why can't we?'

Soon, now doubt you'll be able to order new winch colours to go with your nail lacquer, or perhaps the colour of your spinnaker. Harken, of all people!

Harken’s new winches - is it the sign of things to come? © SW

Yes, taking inspiration from laptop manufacturers, Harken has added three new fashion styles to their Radial® Winch line: Zebra, Leopard, and Glitter.

The Harken design team developed a complex pattern making element that, when added to their manufacturing process, allows them to create funky new designs on their winches. The first three patterns released in the fashion range are zebra stripes, leopard spots (in genuine fake fur effect) and a dazzling glitter finish.

The elements are interchangeable. If the mood of the yacht changes, simply take the winch apart as if you were servicing it, unclip the styled sections, and replace them with an alternative pattern or colour-way.

'Having listened to a number of requests from sailors, there is a proven need for personalising the look of our winch range,' states Peter Harken. 'We like to be at the forefront of the marine industry and when our engineers realised we had the manufacturing capabilities to style components of our winches, it was a no brainer to come up with some funky new designs.'

Harken’s chief stylist, Toby LaRone, states his inspiration for our first three prints was from the early days of Harken in the late sixties and early seventies when glam chic was at the forefront of fashion. 'I really felt it was a good fit for today’s accessorized market. And why not put some jazzle on board!'

The Harken UK projects team specified the Zebra winches on T’rextasy, the new TP52 which is in build as we speak.

These glamorously innovative styles are available in sizes 20 – 70 and are available April 1, 2013. The design team continues their work on future style designs; neon fluorescent colour range and floral prints are coming soon.

About Harken:
Harken Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of innovative sailboat hardware and accessories. Headquartered in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Harken manufactures in the USA and Italy. The Harken Inc. network includes offices in 48 countries, with group offices located in Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States (Rhode Island, California, and Florida).