Behind the X-Rudder is no stranger: Bernard Mallaret was head of the French sailmaker Delta Voiles for many years and has won the Tour de France à la Voile several times. Together with mechanical engineer Michel Oussens, he founded the company Reflex SAS and developed the universal emergency rudder kit.
Simple installation
The X-RUDDER can be installed on almost any monohull sailing boat. To do this, just three special fittings are inserted into the transom of the yacht. These anchor points accommodate the entire mechanics of the Notruder. The system can be adapted to different hull widths and transom inclinations by adjusting the two upper struts. The steering system is suitable for monohull sailing boats from 10 to 15 metres in length. A variant for multihulls is in preparation.
According to the manufacturer, the rudder construction can be attached to the anchor points in seven to 15 minutes. Firstly, the rudder head is installed with the two upper struts and then the blade is pushed in from above. On sea passages, however, the system can also remain permanently at the stern, either with or without the rudder raised. In view of possible orca attacks, the French recommend simply pulling the blade out of the water if the animals become interested in the boat. The emergency rudder is controlled via buoys attached to the rudder head, which can be operated directly or redirected to winches, depending on the size of the boat.
Universal kit
The construction of the emergency rudder is made entirely of aluminium, with the rudder blade made of sheet metal and bonded like an aircraft wing. This results in a lightweight and robust component. Depending on the size of the ship, the French company offers blades with lengths of between 1.6 and almost two metres. The other components of the X-Rudder are identical.
The Notrudder can be used directly via the Online shop of the manufacturer and costs around 4000 euros.
