Winches

The perceived feeling of how a winch performs is very much based on the design of the drum. Preferences are very individual and depend on what function a specific winch is used for. A big challenge for any producer of winches. 

Selden's conclusion after years of research was that the relationship between grip and release was critical. Two or three turns should provide enough grip and when releasing the line, you want it to slide out smoothly. Pulling the slack on an unloaded sheet should be possible without the risk of riding turns.