Just for you, Grumpf

Well my thinking is you're on it already sitting on the side of the boat of
which it is a fixed releasable part, but when you need to, you just kick out, it
slides out then a bit further, then free then right out to full trap stretch if
need be.

My thinking is it could be a (relatively) easy halfway house twixt hiking and
trapezing.

The boat would be quite wide to start with not as narrow as the boat in your
ilustration

Jack Knights designed something for the second IYRU trials in 1967 ( i think)

It had a pretty wild seat arrangement that swiveled 360 degrees but also telescoped in and out, so that in theory you never had to get off the think. It was something like a tractor seat welded to the end of an aluminum tube, sort of like a spoon, that you sat in and were supposed to be able to move around by pushing with your feet.

I'm sure someone can dig up the images, it as pretty clever, but I'm sure it fell down on the execution.

But the IC was the fastest and best sorted boat then, and it still is today. If you want to play development games, you have a pretty wide field.

SHC

Hmm, you're probably right about trapezing in isolation, but speaking from
bitter experience, trying to learn to do the lot single handing all in one go is
tricky especially if you don't happen to have any residual stick waggling
skills to fall back on and the kite thing has to be occasionally hauled up and
down.

Originally posted by The Moo Originally posted by G.R.F. Hmm, you're probably right about trapezing in isolation, but speaking from bitter experience, trying to learn to do the lot single handing all in one go is tricky especially if you don't happen to have any residual stick waggling skills to fall back on and the kite thing has to be occasionally hauled up and down. Which is why some people take the time to learn all the components in isolation (ie spinnaker and trapeze in the front end of a crewed boat) and then put it all together. Doesn't happen in 5 mins but it works........

Absolutely right.  I used to think I sailed my contender relatively well till I started going to open meetings.  Then I discovered all the other guys were way better than me because they spent so much time in the boat.

That's why this year I have forked out to join Grafham and I go and train at every opportunity.  In fact, I'm going now....

Interesting to see that twice contender world champ Marcus Hamilton has just won the MPS event down under at Black Rock.

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=146001

Originally posted by turnturtle I think this really is just for you grumpfs.... http://tinyurl.com/cwk6o7

Fully 'batterned '(sic) sail;

But would it meet Grumpf's approval? Are they tapered?