Here's something that I've been struggling with for the last couple of years. It seems that there are a lot of really good sailors that prefer to have their mainsheet blocks set so it is really difficult to cleat while on the trapeze (part of my Alter Cup duties was to set the rather delicate new-style Harken mainsheet cleat angle in between rotations). I have tried it, sometimes simply because my cleat wasn't set where I wanted it, and have always had a very difficult time tacking smoothly when I can't cleat the sheet just before coming in off the wire.

Is it just a timing thing where you start the tack, come in and ease the main at the same time (since it's not cleated), take the sheet across with you (sheeting in as you go), pass the sheet to the crew, then hook in?

My timing is more like: cleat the main, start the turn just as the crew's butt hits the hull, skipper in off the wire (still turning), just past head to wind the skipper is in middle of trampoline facing mainsheet blocks and uncleats the main easing 12 inches or so, out to the new windward hull, sheet in about 1/2 of what was eased out (sometimes cleat it now), crew is just about on the wire (wait just a second - use the time to refine your new heading), hand sheet over shoulder to crew, hook in and trap out as crew is cranking in the main the rest of the way.

I'm really comfortable tacking this way - but I would like to understand how to do this effectively without cleating the main.