Welcome to the November issue of At The Front, a monthly digest of top news and content from the world of Harken.

Contents:

• Opening Thoughts by Jim Andersen, Harken U.S. Sales Manager
• Volvo Ocean Race Start in Alicante, Through the Eyes of the Tech Team
• Harken Canvas Customer Spotlight with Sail22
• Harken Tech Team Asked & Answered: Battcar System Installation
• Introducing the Continuous Line Drive Furler
• Mainsheet Fine-Tune Systems Article

U.S. Sales Manager Jim Andersen Looks Back on October

October and November are the fastest-moving months of the year in my job as Harken’s US Sales Manager. I’m pretty sure that’s because this time is book-ended by two of our most significant boat shows, which feel like troop movements and require lots of attention to execute well. Early in October, a Harken team from a variety of U.S. and overseas offices travels to Annapolis and the United States Sailboat Show.

As many of us as can fit, jam together in a house rented for the duration of the show. We cook together. We do dishes together. We fight over the TV remote. We hit some nightspots together, but don’t always make it home together. If you’ve ever done a week-long regatta in a crew house, well that’s precisely how the Harken house feels.

You can’t do what we do for long without LOVING boat shows. There’s no better way to hear how well Harken is doing. Sailors don’t hold back. If they don’t like something, they’ll tell you. If they like something, they demand to know more. If they’re confused, they ask lots of questions—so we bring all of our experts to explain things. This year we publicly introduced Harken’s new Element block line. We designed it to be value priced, fabricated it in forged aluminum for longevity, and gave it the sleek contemporary look Harken is known for. If the Annapolis reaction is any indication, we got it right! Check out Harken.com/element to have a look.

The annual Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam is at the end of November. It is a true ‘trade’ show where the global marine trades, yacht and ship builders, designers, naval architects, rigging and outfitting professionals come to view new products and place orders. For Harken, it’s a great opportunity to interact face-to-face with our distributors from around the world and to meet some of their customers directly. METS is one of the biggest sales focuses of the entire Harken year. After METS, comes US Thanksgiving…and suddenly it’s the Holidays. Hope you find Harken’s November Digital Digest compelling. And if you live in the northern hemisphere, I hope your boat is ready for winter…so you can start thinking about spring!

- Jim Andersen, Sales Manager, Harken USA

Volvo Ocean Race Start in Alicante, Through the Eyes of the Harken Tech Team

The story of the team behind the hardware continues. Enjoy this recap from our Tech Team on the ground for the start of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Follow the Tech Team around the world at HarkenAtTheFront.com.

Harken Canvas Customer Spotlight with Sail22

Learn how Harken Canvas works with customers like Sail22 to turn great ideas into great products.

Harken Tech Team Asked & Answered: Battcar System Installation

Upgrading your mainsail to a Harken Battcar system is easier than you think! Learn about the convenience and safety benefits of the system and follow along as the Tech Team performs an installation.

Introducing the Continuous Line-Drive Furler

Harken's continuous line-drive furler is the perfect solution for high-performance skiffs, dinghies, and multihulls using large jibs, reaching, and offwind asymmetrical sails.

Mainsheet Fine-Tune Systems

Adding a fine-tune adjustment to your mainsheet system can offer great benefits for sail handling and managing power.