It is also my experience that furlers are not required. They are a nice convenience but in no way required.

I love my furler on my Tiger. It's nice to be able to furl prior to beaching to make your approach easier.

I have never been able to successfully furl my jib when the wind was above 20 upwind. The jib gets caught funny toward the top of the sail and ends up flapping like crazy. It's also very hard to furl going downwind in a big breeze for the same reason. It takes a bit of practice to get it to furl properly.

So in my experience a furler is for the most part not required. But it is an added convenience.

Mike Hill
www.stlouiscats.com