Interesting Rigging Ideas

(What some of the sailors are doing to go fast and get there without breaking down)

• Many of the sailors are running two cars on mainsail traveler and also two cars on the rear beam traveler. Then if a car explodes or breaks for any reason, you have an instant replacement. See the picture below:

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Steve Vanderbol had great idea. He had vellcro straps (see below) sewn into his trampoline. When there is lot of excess lazy sheet laying around, he velcros it and it doesn't get tangled in other sheets, nor drag out the back of the boat

Many of the sailors wanted to utilize larger spinnakers, so they used mast-head spinnakers. Of course, that would definitely break the mast, so runnning backstays were used. Here is a look at the Hobie Tiger:

Harken has been working with Rick White to develop a good spinnaker or Hooter block, and this is the final product. It is a Ratchamatic that ratchets when there is pressure on the block, but becomes completely free-wheeling when the pressure is released. That make it easier for the sheets to get around without a lot of drag -- consequently better and easier tacks.

The litte trollies on the topside of the block allows the sheet to take more of a turn on the block, thus allowing more holding power. They make the sheet a lot easier to hold for the crew.

Euro has just introduced a new trapezing system in the U.S. that allows for easy height adjustment. To get higher, you simply pull on the line, and to get lower, just push the buttons on the side of the handle. Sounds Sweet!