Hey Jeff - Yes, that's me and Dennis Key on a C2. I had the center sheeting on all three of my F18s. I loved it.

Mine was a 9:1 and I never used a cleat - just a Ronstan ratchet block. The first time I used it, I couldn't take my eyes off the tramp. But in practice, I never had any pucker, stretch, wear or damage there, so I just quit worrying. The tramp for center sheeting should be reinforced at the point where the block attaches. AHPC uses fabric straps, but I've seen a Nacra with an eye-strap on a backing plate sewn in, too. I had my first tramp worked on to add the reinforcement, and ordered the next two boats with the option.

I think it is fast. Without a cleat, I worked harder, but it made us faster as a result. It was still a lighter load than the kite - as you can see in that pic, we're double trapped and I could easily hold the sheet with one hand. Dennis never had to worry about the sheet in the tacks, and I was surprised that the block in the center of the tramp never really felt like the obstacle I thought it would be.

You need consistent crew if you're going to use this setup, I think. Managing the main in a tack is a new skill for some crews, and teams will need a couple of tacks to sort out the timing.

If I were buying another boat as crew, I wouldn't hesitate to add the option again. If I were a skipper and knew I didn't have steady crew, I'd probably not.

It was great to break the tension on the boat after a bad race - I could look at Dennis and say, "You had ONE job."

Here's the same setup on a Cap.