Mary: When the crew is handling the mainsheet, the skipper is usually holding the traveler sheet.

Maugan: I had lengthened the tiller arms on my 18sq. so that the tiller crossbar was ahead of the mainsheet blocks.
This worked OK because I often raced in very light air at Lake Norman. Not having to move to the back of the boat for a jibe or tack was very handy. When it was really light, I could sit in the middle of the boat and just push the tiller over and not move.
Once I learned the new technique, it made for some very fast tacks in heavy air because I always had good control of the tiller.
The Hobie 17 has a very long Hot Stick which may not fit under the boom.