After the first outings

I had my first two training outings - with Nathalie in great SE 3-4 Bft wind, and with Piotr in good SSW 2-3 Bft later turning to SE 1-2 Bft. Here are the first observations:

In winds up to 4 Bft and flat water, this boat is very comfortable for single-handed sailing, and surprisingly easy to handle despite the very long cockpit. The tiller extension is quite long (extends from 70 to 120 cm!), so I can control the helm also when tacking, trimming jib etc. Better yet - even when I let off the helm, the boat just goes on. Sure, on a close hauled course it will start luffing up, but less brutally than on other boats I know. On a downwind course, or on engine, then boat just keeps the course for a good while, even if no one touches the helm - quite amazing. 

Unlike J/70, J/80 with a lot of ballast at the keel (635 kg) doesn't really change the course when I shift my weigh from one side to the other. Not sure if this is a good thing or not. On one hand, me going to leeward to prepare for a tack doesn't affect the boat. On the other hand, it means I cannot steer the boat during a manoeuvre by just shifting the weight - which could have been useful if well practiced.

Manoeuvres seem reasonably easy (again, in the wind up to 4 Bft):

• Tacking is smooth with the jib which is quite small. Of course, the trick is to do it efficiently - not lose too much speed nor angle during the tack. I certainly still have to practice a lot :-)
• Hoisting the spi is perhaps less obvious. A big spi makes it hard to prefeed without dropping the spi into the water (if I let it go too easily), but also without tearing it (if I don't let it go and pull to fast on the tackline. 
• Gybing is perhaps the simplest of the basic manoeuvres. As usual: get wind into the spi, ease it a lot while bearing away so that it goes forward, pull hard the other spi sheet, and once the spi has (mostly) gone to the new leeward side, gybe the main. All this is done standing in the middle of the boat, both hand on spi sheets, tiller between the legs for gentle steering. Certainly much easier than with a symmetric spinnaker! (but then, I guess you gybe much less often on a symmetric spi - you just go downwind...)
• Doucing the spi required going downwind to hide the spi behind the mainsail. Then, the usual drill - first collect the foot of the sail while easing the tackline and retracting the bowsprit, and then bring the sail down (and into the cabin, not into the water). One difficulty: with spi halyard cleat on the mast, I need to go to the mast to release the halyard. It would be nice to be able to do it from the cockpit... Any ideas?

I also did myself casting off and leaving the port, hoisting the mainsail, dropping it at the end of an outing, and then mooring back in Jedi's place. Of course, these manoeuvres require some more planning than usually when sailing with a full crew - but weren't particularly difficult single-handed either.

It would be great to practice in stronger winds - all these manoeuvres could prove significantly more difficult. As could reefing the mainsail, and especially changing the jib to the storm jib. Certainly something to practice, even in regular wind if I don't have any strong wind practice session.

Finally, I’ve already noted a number of things to do on the boat - small repairs, and adaptations for sailing single-handed. I'll post separately about it.