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The Kit.

Trapeze Gear - Harness Handles and hardware Gloves

Most important for the trapeze sailor is a good harness; I like a good fit so tend to favour a harness with some adjustment. To tight a fit reduces your ability to twist around, which will have an effect on how much you can see, whilst too baggy and the hook becomes unstable, it wont be easy to find when hooking on, nor will it come unhooked to well.
Similarly avoid baggy and excessive clothing. Wearing a rash vest over your sailing kit keeps the flappy bits away particularly after a good days sailing when they get quite moist, and helps to reduce windage.
By definition you will spend a fair amount of time standing on your feet, it follows that good footwear is essential. Grip is the most important criteria especially when sailing boats that involve standing up. Look for boots with good ankle support and a soft sole for a good feel. Lastly a pair of super gloves, these dramatically reduce how hard you need to grip ropes, which saves a massive amount of energy.

The Sailing.

Firstly each persons role must be established, in a single wire boat such as a 29er the crew will be responsible for 90% of boat balance. In a twin trapeze boat such as the 49er or I14, the helm and crew must decide on their responsibilities. This might be shared or it may be that one person has a greater responsibility.

There are three basic modes for the trapeze artist, low medium and high. Each mode corresponding to wind strength.

Low power – This is much the same as in any non- trapeze boat. There is not enough power available to trapeze. The skills and techniques do not really differ to that of a non-trapeze boat, so this mode is largely irrelevant to this article except to remember to keep your harness on!

Medium power – There is not enough wind to stay on the wire all the time, the crew will need to move in and out as the power in the sails changes. In this mode the crew will play a vital role in balancing the boat. Good boat balance equals good boat speed.

High power – There is excessive wind and the boat will be overpowered. Maximum leverage, good balance and co-ordination are required.

Medium Power.

In most classes the boat should be sailed flat. This will mean the crew will need to move in and out as the wind speed dictates. Delicate movements are required; it is not unlike ballet dancing, so use your toes.
If the wind is steady there will be small changes in crew weight position, adopting a high trapeze position will bring the crew weight nearer the centreline which will make each movement less critical. This means that the crew can bend there legs more or straighten the legs more for a smaller required change in weight. This can work two ways, the crew can respond to smaller gusts and lulls with out large position changes and can move there bodies a larger amount with out, that movement, causing excessive weight changes.
Conversely if the wind is changeable, requiring larger weight changes, it will be better to trapeze lower so that the gust and lull range can be catered for. As a rule if you are spending most of your time with your legs bent then the trapeze height should be higher and if most of the time the legs are straight then it should be lowered.
In this mode the crew weight can dictate how the boat is steered, remember that leeward heel will cause the boat to head up and windward heel will cause it to bear away, in this manner the boat trim can be used to aid steering through wind direction changes and around waves or chop.
Keep a close eye on the wind changes ahead, both strength and direction, so that you are ready to adapt the boat trim accordingly.
As the wind speed increases so the crew will eventually find they are sailing with straight legs all the time. This is when the high power mode kicks in.

High Power.

Now we are looking for maximum leverage. As discussed the trapeze height will be low but be careful. This mode happens in strong winds increasing the likely hood of waves. Only trapeze as low as the second or third highest wave height, and braze when you hit the highest waves! Stand tall, on the tips of your toes whilst keeping your shoulders back. Use suitable kinetic’s for your class. Movement forward and aft will become important as the boat, hopefully, goes over waves. If it goes through them, you are too near the front of the boat.

In reality there will be a fair cross over between each mode during any particular day, race or even leg. The modes will be different for a given wind speed on each point of sail, a broad reach will, in all but the strongest of winds, be in medium power mode, whilst the run in a conventional boat will be in low power mode.

Lastly, you need to look good. Standing on the tips of your toes, legs together and hand over head will look good but only for as long as you stay in that position. Far better too adopt a comfortable position where you will stay put. Crewmembers flying off the back or around the forestay are very slow and definitely uncool.

SH.