In the fan-shape, at the left, are some of Antal's handles. In the middle are Harkens. At the right are Lewmar handles, and at the far right is the gaudy rubber-coated translucent handle (made by Titan) that is called 'The Condor.' At the lower left are two unpretentious British-made Holt handles. At the lower right is a Sea-Dog.

There are trimmers on the racing circuit who come aboard with their personal 8" winch handles. They claim short handles are faster.

That's true, of course, provided you have the speedy beef to take advantage of the smaller radius. Otherwise, the only reason you should buy a short winch handle is that you can't swing a standard 10" handle in the available space. (The usual problem is a retro-fitted dodger or bimini.)

Practical Sailor's market scan revealed that most manufacturers offer both 8" and 10" versions of their line of winch handles. Almost all come in locking or non-locking versions. …