Sometimes you see an idea that’s so elegant in its simplicity that all you can say is, “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” Seldn’s $155 Backstay Flicker is just such an item. It’s a fiberglass rod that bolts to the masthead crane on a fractionally rigged boat with a heavily roached main—the kind that always hangs up on the backstay. At its outer end is a small block through which the backstay is fed; as the boat tacks or gybes, the tensioned rod lifts the backstay to allow the mainsail to slip past without catching on the stay. Seldn Mast, Inc. 843-760-6278, www.seldenmast.com
