Regular readers may remember my jamming mainsheet system when the wind blew up during last season's Pas de Deux race. It was not the first time I had trouble fiddling with my mainsheet controls. Once, during a broach right at a crowded windward mark, with the spreader not coming out of the water, I couldn't release the main until the boat finally rotated into the wind. Less exciting but also performance robbing: every tack my head is looking down in the boat, as I struggle with traveler car lines. It would be much better to look at where the boat is going. Anyway, after putting it off on my previous boat, and this one, I decided overhauling the system was way overdue. Cost be damned. I want the absolute minimum of fuss, so I can focus more on pointing the boat where I want it to go. This week, all my new parts arrived. One part of the new system is pictured to left. It's a windward sheeting car. It is very, very expensive. I'm hopeful it will help make my tacks smoother. I also received a shiny new black track, and various bits and pieces to keep the whole affair smooth and mindless. I get pretty excited about go-fast toys. Most of the go-fast Sharks already have this hardware, so I think I am getting a little closer to equipment parity. A notable exception is the Shark, Nuisance. That boat has the regular traveler set up with manually operated lines. To catch that boat I'll need parity in a different category, the brain.
My goal is to eliminate every distraction, small and large that gets in my face when I should be focusing on smooth, precise tacks, or powered-up steering. So here goes another hindrance to sailing sharp and fast!
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