The Solution.

Main reasons why I wanted to have most, if not all of the mainsheet in front of me;
- Lots of mainsheet to grab in a gybe
- No need for a gybing strop (that always seems just out of reach...)
- Can use part of the system for quick-response downwind sheeting
- Reduced aft mainsheet dragging in the water in light winds
I did try a forward-bridle arrangement. The trouble is, there are very few anchor points. I tried some dyneema loops under the forward toe-strap anchor plates, but the bridle fell onto the top of the centreboard and got jammed. I did think about using soft plastic tubes to hold the bridle up, but I then realised that the setup wouldn't have enough grunt. So, I came up with the hybrid arrangement as shown in the photos, with the "bridle" block attached to the ratchet block. Personally, I wouldn't bother with adjustable rear-bridle bobbles (too much of a distraction) - just have some fixed a few inches in from the gunwhale to prevent transom-corner snags. In a single-hander, you probably don't want to be sheeting further inboard than that in any case.
Steve.

Edited by Solo4652 - 19 May 15 at 11:51am

The gearing/purchase will be different as the forward position looks to be only about 1/3 of the way along the boom, so it might well be a way of getting a "perfect" purchase ratio. It does look odd, but I'm having trouble thinking of a reason why it might be wrong, assuming that the owner likes sheeting off the floor, and it does give a grab for gybing etc.

With transom snags, wouldn't it be worth trying shock cord as per 49er?

Edited by JimC - 19 May 15 at 6:13pm

What exactly is your mainsheet arrangement now? Could you post a picture here?

Originally posted by Do Different I know of some big mains, Osprey for one that only use a split tail sheet off the boom end with no additional blocks for advantage 1:1.

That's exactly the setup on my Grad which is probably a similar sized mainsail to the solution. If GRf/woodburner wants centre main he'll need more purchase though.

Edited by craiggo - 21 May 15 at 6:48pm

Originally posted by Woodburner Originally posted by Solo4652 What exactly is your mainsheet arrangement now? Could you post a picture here? Well it was the standard block at the rear on a centrally mounted bridle which drops over the stern quarter, one block on the boom at the back one in the middle and a centrally mounted ratchet block on the aluminium tower the early boats had which has since been replaced by a glass fibre device. So what I have tried, a double block centrally mounted at the boom the existing arrangement at the rear but just a single rope to the now unnecessary bridle mounted block, then a second floor mounted block suspended just infant of the ratchet block on a tight bridle.  This I originally mounted on the floor right at the front of the cockpit just behind the kicker so the looped return followed the path of the kicker, it looked neat it was out of the way, but because there was no significant return path from the boom block it reduced the purchase hence there being too high sheet loads during the race and the rope is old and like windsurfing booms hopeless to grip when dry, I shall remember to wet it through next time.

Try as I might, I can't visualise this at all. A photo would really help if that's possible.