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September 05, 2017 3 min read
Gottifredi Maffioli are an Italian rope company who have been in business since 1926.
There are two rope products from Gottifredi Maffioli which really stand out in the dinghy sailing market, Swiftcord and Superswift.
In this article we are going to look at the two types of rope, their characteristics, what they can be used for and why we recommend them for your boat.
You'll hear the Olympic sailors across all fleets raving about the softness of Swiftcord on their hands, especially for constantly adjusted sheets. Superswift is essentially the same product but with a Compact Braid 12 strand dyneema core. Compact braid is slightly different to a standard dyneema as it has a hard wearing coating which makes it tougher.
On our Tornado catamaran we are using SuperSwift for the kite halyard, kite sheets and then Swiftcord for the main sheet. The reason for using SuperSwift on the kite sheets is because the ends of the sheet are tapered down to save a bit of weight. The kite halyard is also tapered exposing that long lasting dyneema core.
By far the most popular of the two products Swiftcord doesn't have a core, it's a hollow braid rope which is available in 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm and 10mm thicknesses from Sailing Chandlery.
The strength of the rope comes from the dyneema mixed into the cover along with a high grip, non slip fibre which helps you hold onto the rope.
Becuase Swiftcord has a hollow center it's great to work with for custom applications, for example, you can stitch dyneema eyes in, feed two ropes together to create your own custom product or simply create an eye splice in one end.
Although commonly used for sheets, with the wide range of diameters the rope is available in, it can also be used for control lines and halyards.
Swiftcord is available from Sailing Chandlery starting at £2 per meter.
SuperSwift is a combination of compact braid 75 dyneema and swiftcord, it has a compact 75 Dyneema® core and a swiftcord cover. This makes the rope ideal for sheets or halyards that need to be tapered down. The rope has high abrasion resistance and good grip from the cover and high strength from the core.
Sailing Chandlery are currently stocking SuperSwift in 5mm, 6.5mm, 8mm and 9.5mm. We find this spread covers everything from tapered kite halyards through to sheets on keel boats.
SuperSwift is extremely easy to taper, even in the smaller diameters. We see the 6.5mm being more popular for smaller boats such as 420's, GP14s and Merlin Rockets. The larger diameters are more popular for catamaran and keel boat sheets.
Through Kingfisher Yacht Ropes, the UK distributor, we stock a number of popular ropes made in Italy by Gottifredi Maffioli, these are for a number of applications across your boat. Probably the most popular is the Evolution Race rope which has a polyester cover and dyneema core.
If you have any questions about Swiftcord, SuperSwift or other Gottifredi Maffioli products then please do get in touch. We're always happy to have a chat about the best rope for your applications.
New jib sheets are good to hold, do not twist up and hold well in the cam cleats.
Really good kicker at a reasonable price, delivered well packaged up and quickly
I made a mistake on my order and it was put right at zero cost to me ! Amazing !
I’ll certainly be back
Product exactly what I wanted
Good cover, made of a thick tough material and fits the boat well. The drawstring really helps tighten it around the boat and keep the rain and dirt out! There is enough extra space under it to fit your mast and boom on a deck tidy under it. Looks great in the club berths!
Very happy with the complete set of wheels with pins & washers - all in excellent condition & arrived as scheduled. Thank you.
Works well, towing noise considerably reduced and no further damage to underside of gunwales.
These are a revelation compared to the silly key ring type pin. So easy to use making rigging that bit quicker and easier! Great service as always from Sailing Chandlery A*
Excellent service and prompt delivery.
Best on the market!
Our son broke the sheave in his ILCA traveller block. I ordered the full set, which arrived the next day - absolutely brilliant service, sensible price and a quality product
Bought these to fit to the under boom sliders on a Super Spars boom to use for the main sheet. Block is compact and fits close to the underside of the boom keeping main sheet as close to boom as possible.
Quickly delivered from Sailing Chandlery.
I’d not realised that my previous boom was a problem until it became rather banana shaped. The Holt replacement is just the ticket and was delivered promptly. Good value for the money.
Excellent product and prompt delivery
I bought these for summer dinghy sailing as I found my short fingered leather gloves were getting uncomfortable and I needed some protection for the tips of my fingers. I have only worn them once but was very impressed. They fitted nicely, didn’t get soggy and I didn’t notice any discomfort.
Easy to put on and adjust and fits well. I went for a larger size than the size chart suggested as I was the top end of the medium measurement with a wetsuit and spray top on adding a bit extra. The only thing that I feel lets it down is the packing it comes in, I would have liked something like the breathable bag the Rooster buoyancy aids come in.
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