Mid Boom versus aft traveler

[rnlivingston]

I have a fully raced equipped 1973 DS1 that I race at a local sailing club. I do extremely well against similarly equipped boats...both upwind and downwind. The boat came with mid boom sheeting with double ratcheting blocks which works very well. But the NACs come to New England next year and I want to participate. I'm thinking of installing a traveler and change the main sheet system. The question is what will I gain ?

[GreenLake]

My gut level feeling is that I would not expect a change like this to be a "breakthrough" for you, that would catapult you from the back of the fleet in the NACs to the front.

You are practiced with the old system system, and that frees you up to focus on tactics and strategy. If this was the start of the season, I would have suggested that you rig something up and see whether it helps you decisively against the other boats, and if it does to practice with it.

My reaction is based on my experience in mixed fleet racing, with no compensation. I've seen how well people can do in "lesser" boats, if they are the better sailors, and/or have superior local knowledge...

[K.C. Walker]

Roger,

It must be that those Can-Am boats are just faster! When Geoff owned your #6872 previously we speculated that his/yours must be one of the first Can-Am boats and mine must be one of the last. I wonder if your #7000 was made side-by-side with my #7002?

I might be wrong, but I think that no one has won NACs with a traveler in quite a while. The most successful sailors are using either a stern deck bridle or a Snipe style split tail main sheet. Mike Gillum won the last three years using the split tail main sheet and double ratchet blocks. Dave Keran has been using the stern deck bridle, and Phil Root used that system as well. They also are using a 20:1 boomvang. It seems that this combination has provided the best sail control.

[Mike Gillum]

Since the turn of the century Mike McCaffrey, Bob Blake, Jr & Ted Dickson have won DS NACR's with mid-boom travelers in 2006, 2009 & 2010, the adjustable McLaughlin bridle system 2:1 mainsheet has won most of the other years and since 2011 its been the 1:1 Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet system.
The 1:1 Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet was an oddity shortly after I replaced the mid-boom traveler on #2772 BUBBA but over the past couple of years more and more Northern California DS switch over to the dark side!
As far as I'm concerned the Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet has zero drawbacks while the mid-boom traveler has many in my opinion;
1. The 1:1 Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet has less mainsheet to adjust which means less mainsheet in the bilge and weight overall.
2. The 1:1 Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet allows for quicker sheeting and easing of the mainsheet both of which are highly critical!
3. The 1:1 Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet self-centers the boom without having to adjust the traveler after every tack.
4. The 1:1 Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet system weighs several pounds less than the all of the components in the mid-boom traveler system and requires no fasteners be installed in the side tanks to mount it.
5. The mainsheet base is always attached to the centerboard trunk in one location making it easily and quicker to find if you drop the mainsheet or misplace it!
6. The 1:1 Snipe split-tail bridle mainsheet system doesn't have a traveler cross the boat impeding the fore/aft movement of the skipper and crew.
Rigging is a personal choice and what may work for one person may not work for another!
FYI Dieball Sailing's annual Fall Discount started September 1st and the sails that have won the past three DS NACR's and just about every west coast regatta the past six seasons are now on sale!

[Salty Dog]

Where can I see a pic. or diagram of a snipe split tail bridle? I sure there are many I just want to make sure I'm looking at the right thing.
SD

[Alan]

http://www.ukmirrorsailing.com/index.ph ... 65:rigging

Here's a picture of one, although from other stuff I've read the bridle is shorter than ideal. If you search "split bridle mainsheet" you can spend a couple of entertaining hours reading up on the subject.

[Salty Dog]

Thanks. I get it now.

SD

[Alan]

Does anyone have length measurements for a split-tail bridle mainsheet? I can figure out the lengths of the split tails easily enough, but how long should the thick part of the sheet be to allow it to pay out when the boom swings outward?

[Salty Dog]

I was thinking about putting some on my boat. It seems to me the tricky part would be getting the split tails the right lenght as to be able to bring the boom to the centerline of the boat before the leward splitail became tight.

SD