Propulsion: Flexofold Racing Propeller celebrates comeback

The racing propeller, which was once extremely popular with both club regatta and professional racing crews, was no longer available for a long time. However, at the request of two well-known shipyards and due to numerous enquiries from customers, the original construction plans were retrieved from the archives, revised and modernised. According to rumours, the two shipyards in question are Beneteau and X-Yachts. Whether this refers specifically to the XR41 and the new First 30 models remains speculation.

What is certain, however, is that the revitalised folding propeller will initially only be available in the 16 x 15 inch size. This special configuration is optimised for the popular 29 hp Yanmar 3YM30AE engine.

What makes this propeller so special?

Although a conventional folding propeller can be folded up, there is always a small gap between the blades. Depending on the manufacturer, this gap varies between one and two centimetres. The Flexofold Racing Propeller, on the other hand, has an innovative design that allows it to be folded up completely without a gap. This significantly reduces water resistance and improves efficiency. According to Philipp Becker, Technical Sales and Marketing employee at Flexofold, this design leads to a further reduction in water resistance of around 20 per cent, which can be a decisive advantage, especially in regattas. The folding mechanism, which occasionally caused problems with the previous version, has also been revised. This should be a thing of the past with the current version.

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But there are also small compromises: As the blades of the racing propeller are smaller, its thrust is slightly lower than that of a conventional two-bladed propeller. So you have to make a decision: Do I want to sail faster or motor.

There are also differences in price: the Flexofold Racing Propeller costs €1,793 including VAT, while a regular propeller from the manufacturer costs around €1,541 - a difference of around €250. The propeller is suitable for mounting on a saildrive as well as on a shaft.