Contender

Originally posted by Ross How stable is a Contender? A comparison would be useful. How tall/heavy are you Contender sailors? Thanks

How stable - Certainly more stable than a laser, its just the idiot on the wire that has a tendency to make it look bad

How tall - Well I am 6'1 and 100kg (so a tall lard arse then)

Could someone remind me how to sail a Contender. I had my first sail in it today since September.  

Never tried the wire to wiring as my upper boidy strength is not up to it. I was struggling with the mainsheet today!!

I guess I have to get some practice in before I go to Holland.

Originally posted by MRJP BUZZ 585 I think the right handside is the hook and left the bit attached to the mast, then the wierd thing is the adjustment and the bottom picture is the tube that goes over the bottom piece of rope which is used to help hook on??

Yeah, essentially the bit between the handle/adjuster and the ring you hook on to is made rigid by the tube so when you swing out you have some control over where the ring is and can move it to the most convenient place to hook on. You also get really good feedback that you are hooked on before commiting your weight to it.

I've tried wire to wire tacking - where you hang your body weight on your arm and unhook/hook on whilst on the rail - my upper body strength is just not good enough to support my lower body weight whilst also trying to steer/sheet.

Looks like he drops the mainsheet at about 30s in - it's not very clear as that area becomes pixellated just after but you can say the tension go. I haven't spotted him picking it up again though, it looks to be just left cleated all the way through. When I'm helming on the wire (though I've never sailed a contender) I tend to drop it just as I get into the boat then pick it up at the block again.
To me the diagram looks to be 2 bobbles, an adjuster cleat and a ring (ring on the left). I think the 56cm gap has a length of tubing over it, and that length is fixed, with the adjustment being on the section above it. On looking at the other pics it would appear that the 'bobbles' are actually the blocks to adjust the trapeze length.

Can anyone see what he does with the main sheet?

And I don't understand the link that shows how his trapeze works. Can anyone interpret this picture?

Edited by Strawberry