That's funny.  And I mean that in a complimentary way.

  Normally I'm the guy arguing for safety, dismissing most traditional suggestions because I want to be as safe as possible.  But here I am choosing blocks on the leeward hull instead of the safer impossible-to-backwind setup.  Go figure. 

  I guess it's because that boat is so much safer than what I'm accustomed to that I don't mind the option/risk of having the wind push on the side where only 40% of the weight is working for the righting moment.

  However, I'd readily buy the argument that, if you're cruising, the ability to not get backwinded is a very good feature.  I've been thinking of the boat from a daysailing perspective, but an extra margin of safety while sailing in bad weather, or at night, or when someone less-experienced is on the helm, would be a good thing.

  I like your suggestion of a traveler.  Personally, though, I'd probably go with a snatch block on the leeward hull, way "aft", with the sheet leading to a cleat/winch at the cockpit.  Changing the sheeting angle would be less graceful than with a traveler, but would also be less complex and provide a better sheeting angle for tacking.

        - Mike

  

On 5/31/2010 12:11 AM, robert wrote:

 

I don't like to let go of not being able to be backwinded.
I was thinking of a rope traveller between the ends of the hulls. This way you could do the tacking bit by taking the puley to the lw hull in light tight conditions and bring it back to near centre whn things are more relaxed. Making the hinge and boomlets strong enough would allow a more acute sheeting angle. Being able to have a schooner rig with this configuration would probably demand this. I don't see why the boomlets couldn't be made as strong as a top gaff without too much weight if skinned with carbon

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