In response to John Williams, I sail a NACRA 4.5 (different to the American NACRA 450), 4.5 has 188 vs 165sqft and it is slightly lighter. I am in my first year of sailing, generally club racing it with a sloop rig, single handed. For the occasions I sail with crew I add a spinnaker off a 14sq.

Ever since I have had the boat the ratchet for the main has been seized. I have gotten into the habit of doing the coarse adjustment with the main then going out on the trap with the traveller for fine adjustment. I am about to buy a new Harken automatic ratchet triple, replace all the lines and then will relearn the correct technique.

Jon