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Line for Controls

West Coast Sailing offer a wide selection of control lines for small sailboat vangs, cunninghams, outhauls, and more. These lines are low stretch, durable, and hold up well in cleats. Check our best selling options like Robline Dinghy Control and Marlow Excel Racing for performance applications or Sirius 500 for light duty or recreational use. Diameters between 2 mm and 8 mm available in a variety of colors.


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  • 5mm Marlow Excel Control

    5mm Marlow Excel Control

    Marlow Ropes
    $0.88
    Marlow Excel Control was the first first and remains best dedicated line for continuous loop dinghy control lines. The special snakeskin pattern means end-to-end, endless loop splicing with no diameter increase is much easier. Technora cover provides...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $0.88
    Subtotal:
  • 4mm Marlow Excel Control

    4mm Marlow Excel Control

    Marlow Ropes
    $0.55
    Marlow Excel Control was the first first and remains best dedicated line for continuous loop dinghy control lines. The special snakeskin pattern means end-to-end, endless loop splicing with no diameter increase is much easier. Technora cover provides...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $0.55
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  • 6mm Marlow Excel Racing GP78

    6mm Marlow Excel Racing GP78

    Marlow Ropes
    $2.42
    Marlow Excel Racing GP78 is a high performance dinghy and keelboat control line. The SK78 core is high strength and minimal creep and the Technora blended cover gives fantastic abrasion and heat resistance. The cover also adds grip for wet hands, and is...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $2.42
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  • 5mm Marlow Excel Racing GP78

    5mm Marlow Excel Racing GP78

    Marlow Ropes
    $1.90
    Marlow Excel Racing GP78 is a high performance dinghy and keelboat control line. The SK78 core is high strength and minimal creep and the Technora blended cover gives fantastic abrasion and heat resistance. The cover also adds grip for wet hands, and is...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $1.90
    Subtotal:
  • 4mm Marlow Excel Racing GP78

    4mm Marlow Excel Racing GP78

    Marlow Ropes
    $1.19
    Marlow Excel Racing GP78 is a high performance dinghy and keelboat control line. The SK78 core is high strength and minimal creep and the Technora blended cover gives fantastic abrasion and heat resistance. The cover also adds grip for wet hands, and is...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $1.19
    Subtotal:
  • 8mm New England Ropes Endura Braid

    8mm New England Ropes Endura Braid

    New England Ropes
    $2.62
    Endura Braid delivers optimal performance, strength and durability for the competitive sailor. It features a specially engineered 12-strand Dyneema core, with marine-tech coating and a 24 plait braided polyester cover. Benefits include a very high...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $2.62
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  • 6mm Marlow Excel Racing

    6mm Marlow Excel Racing

    Marlow Ropes
    $1.60
    Marlow Excel Racing is one of our favorite go to options for dinghy control lines and even halyards. It features a color matched Dyneema SK-78 core for low stretch with a 16 plait cover for improved abrasion resistance and durability. It also can...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $1.60
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  • 6mm New England Ropes Endura Braid

    6mm New England Ropes Endura Braid

    New England Ropes
    $1.99
    Endura Braid delivers optimal performance, strength and durability for the competitive sailor. It features a specially engineered 12-strand Dyneema core, with marine-tech coating and a 24 plait braided polyester cover. Benefits include a very...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $1.99
    Subtotal:
  • 4mm Robline Coppa 5000 Line 4mm Robline Coppa 5000 Line

    4mm Robline Coppa 5000 Line

    Robline
    $1.03
    Robline Coppa 5000 is a great high performance line for sheeting on larger dinghies and keelboats. It has a Dyneema SK-78 core and provided with a 24-plait cover for easy splicing and stripping. It is ideal for applications where minimum stretch and...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $1.03
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  • 5mm Robline Dinghy PolyTech

    5mm Robline Dinghy PolyTech

    Robline
    $2.25
    The Dinghy PolyTech from Robline is an easy-to-splice control line with a Technora cover and is ideally suited for use on skiffs and dinghies. This is our line of choice in our upgraded ILCA control systems and other dinghy controls...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $2.25
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  • 4mm Robline Dinghy PolyTech

    4mm Robline Dinghy PolyTech

    Robline
    $1.18
    The Dinghy PolyTech from Robline is an easy-to-splice control line with a Technora cover and is ideally suited for use on skiffs and dinghies. This is our line of choice in our upgraded ILCA control systems and other dinghy controls...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $1.18
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  • 5mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78 5mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78

    5mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78

    Kingfisher Yacht Ropes
    $1.13
    Evolution Race 78 from Kingfisher has a high performance Dyneema SK78 12 strand coated core that is high strength, low stretch and low creep. It has a hard wearing HT braided Polyester cover and is easy to splice. Diameter - 5mm (3/16 inch) Core...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $1.13
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  • 4mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78 4mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78

    4mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78

    Kingfisher Yacht Ropes
    $0.79
    Evolution Race 78 from Kingfisher has a high performance Dyneema SK78 12 strand coated core that is high strength, low stretch and low creep. It has a hard wearing HT braided Polyester cover and is easy to splice. Diameter - 4mm Core - 12 Strand...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $0.79
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  • 3mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78 3mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78

    3mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78

    Kingfisher Yacht Ropes
    $0.50
    Evolution Race 78 from Kingfisher has a high performance Dyneema SK78 12 strand coated core that is high strength, low stretch and low creep. It has a hard wearing HT braided Polyester cover and is easy to splice. Diameter - 3mm Core - 12 Strand...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $0.50
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  • 6mm Kingfisher Evo Dinghy 6mm Kingfisher Evo Dinghy

    6mm Kingfisher Evo Dinghy

    Kingfisher Yacht Ropes
    $0.40
    Evolution dinghy line from Kingfisher has been developed in conjunction with some of the worlds leading dinghy manufacturers. The 32 plait Polyester cover provides good abrasion resistance and excellent performance in cleats. It is ideal for halyards and...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $0.40
    Subtotal:
  • 5mm Kingfisher Evo Dinghy 5mm Kingfisher Evo Dinghy

    5mm Kingfisher Evo Dinghy

    Kingfisher Yacht Ropes
    $0.35
    Evolution dinghy line from Kingfisher has been developed in conjunction with some of the worlds leading dinghy manufacturers. The 32 plait Polyester cover provides good abrasion resistance and excellent performance in cleats. It is ideal for halyards and...
    Qty in Cart: 0
    Price:
    $0.35
    Subtotal:
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Control Line Recommendations

Dinghy / Small Boat Recreational

 4mm / 5mm Robline Sirius 500 

Dinghy / Small Boat Performance  

 2mm / 3mm / 4mm / 5mm Robline Dinghy Control   

 4mm / 5mm Marlow Excel Racing

Keelboat / Cruising Recreational   

 6mm Marlow DoubleBraid     

Keelboat / Cruising Performance   

 6mm Robline Dinghy Control Line   

 

Finding The Right Diameter

If you are replacing an existing line, the easiest way to determine what diameter you need is to match what you already have. This can be done with a caliper or by close estimation with a tape measure. If you've previously used a 5mm control line and it has performed well, another 5mm line is likely a great choice. In most applications, there is some flexibility in the exact diameter that can be used. Most blocks, for example, have an 'ideal' diameter (ie, the line diameter that runs most effectively though the block's sheave) but also have a range so that you can run a slightly thinner or slightly thicker line. If you have a control line that is getting hung up in your rig, stepping down 1-2mm might help the halyard run more efficiently. If you have a larger boat or rig and want to run a thinner control line , consider a double braid high tech line that features a Dyneema or spectra core for strength.

Line Diameter Conversion

1mm = 3/64 inch | 2mm = 5/64 inch | 3mm = 1/8 inch

4mm = 5/32 inch | 5mm = 3/16 inch | 6mm = 1/4 inch

7mm = 9/32 inch | 8mm = 5/16 inch | 9mm = 3/8 inch

10mm = 25/64 in | 11mm = 7/16 in  | 12mm = 1/2 in

Double Braid vs Single Braid

Two terms you will often see in line descriptions are 'double braid' and 'single braid', which refer to the way the line is constructed. At the most basic level, a double braid line has a cover and a core whereas a single braid does not, but there are other important distinctions to consider when making a line selection.

Single Braids are made up of either 8 or 12 strands that are braided into a circular pattern, half clockwise and half counter clockwise. This produces a line that is supple, absorbs twists, and tends not to kink. There are two types of single braid lines: performance single braids and polyester/blended single braids. Performance single braids are made from fibers with very low stretch and designed to handle extreme loads - think Dyneema, Spectra, or Vectran. Polyester/blended single braids, sometimes called hollow braid, are soft and easy to grip, built for sheets and hand-adjusted control lines. These are less common than performance single braid lines but recommended in a few specific applications.

Double Braids, sometimes called braid on braid, have a braided core within a braided outer jacket or cover. This creates a strong, durable, smooth-running line that is easy to handle. Double braids are used for the vast majority of all running rigging on sailboats including sheets, halyards and control lines for both cruising or racing. There are two types to consider: polyester double braids and high-tech double braids. Polyester double braids, found most commonly on recreational and cruising sailboats, have a polyester cover with polyester core. These are low maintenance, affordable, and long-lasting, while offering relatively low stretch and high working loads. For additional strength and minimal stretch, consider high-tech double braids. These lines typically feature a Dyneema or Spectra core (non-stretch) inside a polyester or polyester/dyneema blend cover for additional durability. They are more expensive but often the go to choice for high performance racing boats.

For control lines, we typically recommend Double Braids, particularly for the portion which is either cleated or is handled by the sailor. If you control line system requires a 'secondary' line (such as on a Laser vang, for example), a single braid high tech line such as Dyneema or Spectra is appropriate.

Whipping & Splicing

Looking to clean up the end of your line or need to add a splice to your rig? Visit our Whipping & Splicing page for a full selection of whipping twine, fids, splicing needles, and complete splicing kits. Perfect for the DIY sailor looking to further optimize their rigging.

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