Basically, late in 1990's I got a rather serious issue with RSI on my right arm. Since then I control my mouse with my left hand, despite the fact that I'm right handed. This is now fully under control but my nerves and muscles in my lower right arm will never be the same.

Last year in september I did a distance race and I learned the hard way that I was ignoring serious warning signal from my lower right arm. It cramped up really badly after an hour of sheeting on a beam reach. We all know this story and seen the pics of me swimming. I felt no pain when it cramped but it took hours for some normal control to come back and even then it would just cramp up again when I tried to hold something as light as a cup. Over the winter it got better, but it is definately a weak spot.

While sailing my F16, I'm clutching the mainsheet upwind and the spi sheet downwind. I have enough control and strength to do that again now. But as soon as I maintain a grip for a little while my muscles quickly go back to the cramped state. In short I can not hold on to the sheet with force for a prolonged period. Everything is fine if I can relax the muscle between actions, but I can not maintain the hold.

Currently I have no issues with the spi sheet as I have double auto ratchets there that allow me to relax the muscles after each pull. The problem now is found on the upwind leg. In order to stay competitive I need to work the mainsheet more and more. If I don't the other F16's (and F18's) at my club are walking away from me upwind. I used to use the cleat to relax my muscles but this is now becoming to much of a handicap, so I'm looking for a system that acts just like my spi sheeting.

And of course; I want to do the best I can at the upcoming Worlds, although it will be more important to just see my arm survive 5 days of continious racing !

That is it.

Wouter