upffront.com introduce Premium Ropes and Stirotex Fibre
by Calanach Finlayson 10 Jun 2021 16:00 UTC
Introducing Premium Ropes and Stirotex Fibre © Premium Ropes
Premium Ropes is an Amsterdam based rope supplier, rigging workshop and resource centre for all things running rigging. They quickly gained profile by running physical splicing workshops in the Netherlands and publishing step by step instructional videos on YouTube. Their first video now has now been viewed over 9.7 million times!
The company was founded in 2011 by Jan-Willem Polman, a mechanical engineer with specialisation in synthetic technology. Having just returned from sailing around the world, Jan-Willem set up the Dutch company Lijnenspecialist followed shortly after by sister company Premium Ropes. Initially the company was an Alpharopes supplier with a focus on splicing and rigging services/expertise.
Stirotex Fibre
The next step was the addition of own brand Premium Ropes lines to the range, building on their own expertise to create performance ropes for all applications. This now extensive range puts Premium Ropes firmly alongside the other big rope manufacturers.
Meanwhile behind the scenes, development was ongoing to produce a new UHMPE fibre, 'Stirotex'. UHMPE fibres are virtually unrivalled for their combination of high strength, low elongation and durability at an affordable price. The most well know brand is of course Dyneema® from DSM who have pioneered this fibre. Slowly other manufactures are beginning to produce alternatives, with Stirotex being one of the first.
Bringing Stirotex to market involved a lengthy R&D process. Particular development went into the coating which must be carefully tuned to match the molecular structure of the fibre.
Originally aimed as an affordable performance option for the cruising market, the Stirotex products have undergone a recent revamp to increase the working load by slightly increasing the core diameter. This makes the Stirotex products a real contender for racing boats.
The success of the Stirotex range is evident in recent high profile projects as well as the significant uptake in the ORC cruiser/racer circuit. A fully kitted out Dutchsail 69F team won the first stage of the recent Youth Foiling Gold Cup, while Stirotex lines are also starting to appear in the offshore classes including Mini Transat, Figaro, and Class 40.
Stirotex is currently available in three different lines
S-Cup: Combines a Stirotex core with 24 braid HT Polyester cover for a hard-wearing affordable line just as suitable for cruisers as regatta sailors.
TN Racing: Building on the S-Cup, this line has the same Stirotex core with Technora/Polyester cover for added abrasion resistance and grip. This makes for a great line for performance applications.
S-Core: Stirotex is also available as a braided core material for all applications where a cover is not needed.
Following the success of these lines, there are plans to extend the Stirotex range. Soon to be launched is Eco-Cup with Stirotex core and recycled polyester cover.
Conclusion
Now celebrating it's tenth birthday, Premium Ropes is today a well-known brand renowned worldwide for their expertise, quality products and engaging social media content. Running rigging is at the heart of what they do and they pride themselves in doing it well.
With all products always in stock and a skilled team who can step into the workshop when demand is high, these guys really challenge the usual long lead times and availability issues that can often be associated with custom spliced ropes.
upffront.com have Premium Ropes Lines available. If you have any questions about running rigging or custom spliced ropes, you can contact us at or via the Running Rigging enquiry form.
Alternatively, check our our Running Rigging Resources for guides, blogs and specification tools.