The winds in Fiji were mostly 8-12k with a few races above that. But it was very flat water, and the weight, when it was on the wire, was not in the backseat.

I know the Aussies trapeze very far aft. In Cancun, where it was a very mixed up sea from the hurricane, sea breeze, and tidal breeze, being back was probably the place to be. I don't know because we were too far back to see!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

As cool as the "cam filling" idea sounds, I don't want to risk fouling out on it. I have emailed Mal Gray (rules committee rep) twice questions about a 17 I am rigging and was shot down on both ideas. Granted, those ideas may have been a little more creative than the cam idea, but it isn't worth the risk. Thanks, anyway. I'll keep it in mind and maybe email Mal and get his take.

Hakan, I appreciate your comments about getting aft when coming up to speed. My crew and I will experiment and work on that. As for moving the weight forward, I don't like that. The bows start punching in. That is slow.

Murph -- my blades (which were admittedly the old EPOs) are sanded to either 400 or 600 (I can't remember) with wet 'n dry. They are smooth. The cavitation I saw on my weather blade -- DURING BALANCED SAIL TRIM -- was a thin bubble over the surface of the rudder approx. 6" wide and approx. 8-10" long. I use nearly neutral helm.

I think it comes down to what Jeremy wrote earlier -- if you practice it enough, then it is as basic as any other maneuver we do on the boat. Just gotta practice it!

It is pretty easy to see just from this thread that the ole saying "he who puts the most time in on the water, wins" certainly stands true. The only way to find out what really works is to get out there and try it...over and over and over.