Selden Series-S & Series-E Winches — Selection Guide

The ART Drum

Forged and machined hard-anodised aluminium drums with vertical ribs in an asymmetric pattern (ART). A loaded line dents slightly over each rib; with symmetric ribs all dents would jump to the next rib together on release. Asymmetric ribs give strong grip and a smooth release: two or three turns should grip, and slack can be pulled through an unloaded sheet without riding turns.

• S-series: the drum and self-tailer let you pull the slack out with the sheet already in the self-tailer and the handle in place, e.g. pre-load the windward winch before tacking, then sheet home with a turn or two.
• E-series: a manual 2-speed winch on a SEL-Bus motor pack that adds a third, high-speed electric overdrive (for the slack of a long genoa or Code 0 sheet). If power runs out, grind with a handle. The PSU converts 12/24V to 42V; 6 mm² power cables.

S-Series 2-Speed Self-Tailing Winches

Adaptor plates: no new holes

Hard-anodised black aluminium plates, same diameter as the S-winch, with threaded holes. Use the old winch as a template, drill and countersink, grease the bolts and fit the plate; the winch fits on top with the fasteners in the kit.

Winch handles

Race GRIP: release levers on the sides are pushed in as you grab the handle; rigid aluminium crank arm and low-friction palm knob on Acetal ball bearings. Standard: thumb-switch.

E-Series 3-Speed Electric Winches

All E-winches: protrusion below deck including cable clearance 145 mm, motor/gearbox ø 99 mm, power consumption 1000 W, cable size 6 mm², voltage 42 V. Order the SEL-Bus and Power Supply Unit with the winch.

Electric upgrade for S-winches

Install the motor pack and fit your existing S-winch on top. With a Selden electric furling mast the winch also runs Synchronized Main Furling: one button tensions the outhaul while the mast motor unfurls the sail.

Winch Dimensioning

• Dynamic applications (sheets): the winch must give enough mechanical advantage to trim the sheet at the maximum calculated sheet load, based on the effort at a 10" winch handle. A larger winch means less effort; a smaller winch needs more effort but retrieves line faster.
• Static applications (halyards, outhauls, spinnaker guys): the winch should generate 75% of the calculated line load with the available mechanical advantage and a reasonable handle effort, and its Safe Working Load (SWL) must be equal to or greater than 100% of the calculated line load.
• The guides are based on sheet load, winch gearing and handle effort, not on SWL; check SWL separately, particularly for static applications.
• Under electric power an E-winch can generate higher line loads than a manual S-winch of the same size, so the E-winch guide may recommend a smaller size.

Example: S-winch for a jib/genoa sheet on a fractional rig with RM30° = 73 kNm. Draw a vertical line at 73 kNm: it crosses the ranges for S46, S52 and S60, so all three suit. S46 (RM close to the top of its range) needs more effort near maximum sheet load but retrieves line faster; S60 gives more mechanical advantage and less effort; S52 is the compromise.

The full set of S- and E-winch dimensioning charts (mainsail, flying sails, jib and genoa; fractional and masthead rigs) is printed on pages 12-21 of the PDF and on the Selden Winch Dimensioning Guide page.