Trapezing

[Jim Coleman]

I have recently bought a Sprint 15 and have so far sailed it a number of times in unarig mode. And I like it very much. I also sail an RS 600 and as a trapezing sailor I am very keen to get on to the Sprint and sail in Sport mode. However I need some advice on this.

1. Progrip/grippy tape: My reading of the Sprint 15 Rules allows these tapes anywhere on the upper and side decks. But some of the questions and answers produced on the Forum search facility seem to contradict this. Some respondents saying they use it on the top and side decks, others that you can only use it in a limited way on the side decks: which is correct?

2 Getting on and off the trapeze: There are plenty of tips about what to do when you are on the trapeze but none about how to actually get off the deck and out onto the wire with feet in the appropriate place, and coming back in off the wire. I have tried many different variations of doing this on dry land trying to get a method I’m confident with but without much success, even though I am a very experienced trapeze sailor. There are no push off bars or bits that I can see to use for these. I can get out there but only by using two hands to maneouver myself off the deck. But when sailing I’ll need at least one hand to hold the tiller, and mainsheet, not to mention taking the jib sheet out too. Help me please.

Jim Coleman

[George Stephen]

Jim,

As you show your location as Huntingdon, you're not too far away from Grafham. As it boasts the largest UK fleet of Sprint 15s, someone must be able to help you, and you can see where they have placed their grippy tape (if at all - there are some Grafham Sprint 15 sailors who only sail unarig standard mode).

1 As far as grippy tape is concerned, you'll find that most people fit it on the side of the hulls, a little way below the deck so that when you hike you don't rub quite so much against the tape as you would if it were placed right up to the deck level. Also, you will be "standing" on the balls of your feet/toes, and you will only have (ends of) toes above deck level. Most of us seem to have bought tape from Steve Sawford (www.speedysports.co.uk).

2 Try reading Mike Cemm's article "Sprint Sailing" in the Tips section of this site. It does cover getting in and out.
It implies you'll have your forward hand on the trapeze grab handle. I tend to hold the main and jib sheets in my front hand and the tiller extension (and maybe the traveller line) in my aft hand, and push out with no hand on the grab handle...... While the tiller extension slides through my aft hand, I can choose to do the same with the main sheet OR increase the tension in the main sheet as my weight goes outboard. I have the sheets and traveller line in hand to trim the sails immediately.
You need flexible legs to get the front foot on the hull side while being partly hiked out (bum over the side), and to get the rear foot on the hull side as soon as possible after you push out with the front foot so that you complete the manoeuvre. If this sounds illogical, remember that you are going out on the wire from behind the shroud; the trapeze wire will be pulling you forward as well as keeping you up (because it is attached to the mast - forward of the shroud at deck level); you use the front foot first so that you don't get pulled forward and dangle alongside the hull head first, and quickly bring in the aft foot so that you don't "fall" back alongside the hull feet first. You always need to brace against the forward pull, much more so when you are reaching and you trapeze further aft - from right at the back of the boat in strong winds.
I think most of us found getting out on the wire tricky at first - I found that previous crewing on a Dart 18 had helped.....

[Charles]

Jim

I'm no expert as I sail on a puddle & only trapeze on holiday, but one of my mono colleagues did say he found getting out on his Contender easier because of the natural heel, which you don't get as much of on a cat.

Go out in light airs & try it, depending on how heavy you are you'll probably be able to get out without capsizing the boat on top of you in a force 2.

[Georgecart]

Hi Jim,

The best way i find to get out on the wire is to start off in the hiking position just behind the shroud. Your feet can be in or out of the toestraps. I hold the mainsheet in my front hand and hook onto the trapeze, holding the handle also with my front hand. Then I think the key is to get your front foot all the way to the deck with your leg really bent. Then straighten your leg to push yourself out on the wire. you can rest your back hand on the edge of the deck for stability if that helps. I find that once I got the hang of this move that it became second nature very quickly.

To get back in I hold the handle with my front hand and come back into the boat by bending my front leg with my foot on the deck while sliding my back leg in. If you are about to tack make absolutely sure that you do unhook yourself. It is very easy to miss this.

All very easy typing this of course! Good luck and have fun

George

[Martin Searle]

Folks,

So what would be the best method to do a wire to wire tack?

Initiate the turn, come in off the wire, complete turn and then hook on and go out on the other side? Would you try all this without actually sitting on the new side but to just sort of throw oneself outboard?

My current method is not exactly efficient so would be nice to know how the real experts do it. My method is:

Come in off wire before my tacking point, tack, get on new tack and then go outboard once more. This can be a problem on windy days since there is a period on both tacks that there is no person trapeezing so it can be a bit overpowered requiring de-powering as a result.

Martin S.

[Jim Coleman]

Thanks guys.

Unfortunately one of my legs is not very flexible, (and it's the one I've been using as the front leg when practising) and I really need somewhere on the deck to push off from. That was the reason for my question re progrip. If I had some of that on the top deck at a point where I push off, it would help tremendously. At the moment when I try to push off from the bare deck I can't get a good enough purchase. However I'll have another go taking on board your tips.

I do sail at Grafham WSC but none of the Sprinters I know are interested in sailing trapeze wise. The racing in unarig is just too good.

I've arranged for a Dart 18 sailor to give me a demo of how he does it, since it must be very similar. He did mention that he does the 'leg twist' to get his front foot onto the side deck, and that he uses his aft hand on the deck clutching the tiller extension. Also, he did say that it was easier on the water..... I hope so.

[George Stephen]

Jim,

From my memory of Grafham sailors, Bill Tusting and Mark Aldridge have both been known to sail Sport mode.

I don't know of anyone who has put grippy tape on the deck. The places on the deck where I'd put it to help would also be places where I would sit in lighter winds - and the grippy tape would then be a nuisance. If you do work something out, I think we'd like to hear about it.

[Jim Coleman]

George,

I know Bill Tusting and Mark Aldridge but they are not there that often and recently they've been sailing unarig, although I know both of them have trapezed in the past.

Your last post suggests that I can use progrip on the deck. And it would be progrip because grippy tape is too abrasive to move around on. Progrip is really sticky and very kind to flesh and wet/dry suits. I've got it all over the deck of my RS600.

If it works on the Sprint I'll let you know.

Jim Coleman

[Brian Phipps]

Wire to wire tacking has a few options.
You may want to re jig youir tapeze elastic so that the trapeze hook is pulled up not down. Expertimenting with roll-out and roll in is proberbly the fastest way from wire to wire as you never sit down, you are either on your knees or standing up saving one movement. The process does not suit all, but we certainly encourage students on the Windsport Cat Clinic courses to try both and work out when either technique is most usefull. Some sailors do a combination of both.
Brian Windsport

[Jim Coleman]

In has last post on this subject George Stephen asked me to let you know how I got on.

I found that a slight modification of George Carter's suggestions worked well for me. I've put grippy tape on the side of the hulls like everyone else and the progrip on the deck between the shroud plates and the for’ard inspection hatches and draping it over the the edge in place of the grippy tape at those points. To be honest the progrip wasn't as much help as I expected, and not much better than the deck itself. But maybe that was because it's new.

So far I've only tried trapping on the water while unarigged. To go out on the trapeze I sit just aft of the inspection hatch, hook on, grab trap handle, hike out a bit, swivel on bum, put front leg on pro grip, and heave/swing myself up and out using trap handle, front leg and aft hand on deck holding tiller and main. I find the aft hand on the deck is a very important support for me. My aft leg follows and lends support on the deck at some point when going out. There appears to be a lot to do but it is all done within a few secs.

Coming in is much easier, I use the aft leg to lead the way, move aft a bit and swing in on trap handle, holding tiller and sheet in aft hand, landing on
tramp on knee/haunches.

I have a question about trapezing for Brian Phipps. What does he mean by rolling in and rolling out when trapezing?

Jim Coleman

[Brian Phipps]

Hi Jim, Rolling in and out is an advanced trapezing style that starts with you kneeling on the hull rather than sitting, cliping on and rolling out over your feet, reversing that sysyem when coming in. There are a number of other parts to the skill but it is based on minium movements and consistant rudder control.
We go through the various trapezing styles, benifits and draw backs when running Windsport Cat Clinic coaching sessions for groups or individuals.
Brian Windsport

[Kevin Parvin]

A couple of months ago there was a "u tube" posting on the chat pages. It featured a guy sailing at the windsport centre. He was trapezing rolling in and out on his knees, he seemed to tack the boat very quick and set off again on the wire.

Would this technique work for the taller sprint 15 sailor 6ft 2 in.

Kevin 1615...

[Bob Carter]

I have a question about trapezing for Brian Phipps. What does he mean by rolling in and rolling out when trapezing?

Jim Coleman

Hi Jim,
If you come to Instow next week Brian will doubtless show you. The best Sportsters at Grafham are Bill Tusting (1947), John Keyte (1805) and Mark Aldridge (1522). I kind of suspect that Kevin Morris will be pretty hot when he gets going. It has to be said that these are not very regular sailors. Several others have expressed an interest in Sporting. These are Frank Sandells, Richard Whitelock, Richard Phillpott and Tom Sandells. But from the look of Tom's boat from last Wednesday it looks like he might have to wait a little longer (or buy a very big roll of duck tape!!!)
Cheers
Bob

[Jim Coleman]

I have had a look at the You Tube video and the sailor does roll in off the trapeze very quickly. But oooooo.... the stress on those knees. Mine wouldn't last a month. But he then goes across the boat normally, and takes a long time to hook on and go back out on the trapeze.
I could only see one attempt at rolling out near the end of the video when he fell in. But the idea of hooking on and going out from a kneeling position seems very practical.

Jim Coleman

[Gabriel]

Hi Jim,

you're right, that video doesn't really show rolling in and out. I was building up to it through the day but ran out of time unfortunately. The three attempts to go out by rolling all ended in me jumping off the boat (kept standing up rather than rolling so the trapeze hook came off).

I was getting cold and tired (too used to warm weather sailing in HK!) so had to give up.

The main problem I had was confidence in just rolling straight back, something that I imagine would sort itself out with some dry land practice.

At the moment I tend to come in standing up, then on the other side clip on and go out holding the mainsheet in my front hand and tiller in my back hand. This was something Brian taught me as going out like this pulls in the mainsheet and helps power up the boat.

Gabriel