Back in 2021 Team Allen sailors Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell took the win in possibly one of the closest ever finishes in 49er Olympic history. The pair snuck in front of the Germans in a photo finish. The result was an Olympic Gold Medal. 

Dylan joined us on our stand at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show to show us his medal, share his thoughts of that nail-biting finish and inspire the next generation of young sailors who happened to be passing by! We took a few moments of his time to have a chat about what products he has been using on his 49er and Moth, as well as what his plans are for the next Olympic cycle. 

One of the products Dylan and Stu have helped us to develop on the 49er is the skiff swivel cleat. Dylan wanted a cleat that was at the optimum angle to make cleating and uncleating the jib sheet as easy as possible whilst at different heights on the trapeze, however, the plate that held the cleat needed to be super stiff. So when Stu inevitably stood or pushed on it, the plate didnt bend and change that angle. The result is a stainless steel plate that has been formed with a backbone shape to ensure it is super reliable and strong with minimal chances of bending.

Another addition to the skiff swivel cleat after feedback from Dylan, who is the main user of the product on the 49er, was to have a fairlead with minimal friction. So two ball bearing sheaves were added to guide the rope into the cleat. This helped reduce friction in the jib sheet when Dylan was sheeting from extreme angles.