Learning from others, continued

For a change, today (Tuesday) evening I sailed on a different boat: I was crewing on Hans-Peter's Melges 24 in the Tuesday regatta at SNG. Hans-Peter - also a YCC member - has participated in the Translemanique on his private boat a couple of times already. So obviously, I've used this opportunity to ask him a lot of questions about single-handed manoeuvres and boat preparations, as well as routing strategies for different parts of the lake (Petit Lac, Grand Lac, Haut Lac). 

Photo by Anne-Laure Lamure
"Stealing info from a fellow club member 😄"

Hans-Peter explain to me his system for holding the tiller. It's composed of fairly thin elastics, one on each side of the boat. Each elastic can be wrapped one or more times around the tiller end, thus allowing fine-tuning the tension (and therefore, rudder position). In addition, he installs a rope also attached to the tiller, that goes all around the boat using a few pulleys. This rope is accessible from anywhere on the boat, and allows the skipper to adjust the course even during working on the bow. The rope could have loops or just knots in a few places, to facilitate using it - but it's not really necessary. (See the pictures taken last year by Kate Robertson.) I like this system a lot, and will prepare something similar on Jedi!

Hans-Peter has also shared other experiences and ideas - thanks a lot for all of them!

• While tacking, first release the mainsail traveller to the middle, and then pull it to the new upwind after the tack. If the wind is strong, release it all the way, and fix it in the new position already before the tack.
• Reminder of basic routing ideas: Petit Lac - see other boats and look for the wind (but not too big waves). Grand Lac - don't go into the Thonon bay, keep in the middle or max 2/3 towards the Swiss coast. Haut Lac - not too close to the mountains on the south side.
• Keep food and drinks in the rope bags in the cockpit so that they are easily accessible. Clothing in the cabin - perhaps at the bottom of the spi bag, if this bag is hanging in the gangway.