Tiller Grip

Purely my own observational comments.

I didn't realise you had to hold it in any specific way and for the life of me I can't remember which way I think it differs depending on which tack I'm on then if it's light I just have the knob on the end between the two index fingers.

You do have to have it sort of dagger when you need to grab rope to sheet in hard I know that but then you switch back don't you? Is it important?

To be honest I've never heard the tern "frying pan grip" although I've heard of the "briefcase grip" which is probably the same.
I know a lot of the top guys will use the briefcase grip in light winds, that is tiller aft of them as they swear it causes less involuntary movement and minor use of the tiller is just that, very small movement, as said above you will also see them place the tiller on the deck to stop any movement.

However my understanding is that as the wind builds and you start to hike then the across the chest, dagger grip as you describe, is used by most, as the wind builds you are likely to be altering the mainsheet tension much more, and occasionally large amounts of it, so 2 hands for sheeting are required. There are of course exceptions to this, I14 for example with both crew on the wire and the helm is just steering as the crew has the mainsheet, this gives more options as to how to hold the tiller.

However at the end of the day you do what feels right for you, and what allows you to do the other things in the boat smoothly, you can't be thinking about how to hold the tiller when your head and eyes should be out of the boat.

On my DI course, on my various endorsements and even on my SI course I've been told I hold my tiller extension wrong, mainly by people who I could happily beat in a race. So long as I know how to teach where to hold the tiller when starting out, to make life easy for the student and allow sails to be sheeted properly, if they then find a way that suits them better as they improve, then I'm happy with that.

I'm running a race training course this weekend. If I see tillers being held in such a way that it is slowing people down, I shall suggest changes. Otherwise, I really don't care.

In the Phantom with a centre main sheet and no cleat its best to hold the tiller across the chest then the thumb on the tiler hand can hold the sheet as you sheet in and move your other hand down the rope, as opposed to using your teeth.

Also means you can hold the mainsheet in the tiler hand when you need to adjust kicker, forestay, out haul, cunningham, lowers and pulling centre board up/ down, with the other hand!!!