Colin,

A couple of comments.

KISS (keep it simple stupid). Rear sheeting is simpler and easier to maintain. Most of the Tornado crews have switched to it because it keeps their boats cleaner. Most have given up on tapered mainsheets because they are always a maintenance issue.

Initially, I thought the 6 mm would be a killer on the hands but it is not. The key is pick the right line. Both the Maffioli Swiftcord and Samson Trophy Braid (fuzzy finish polyester braid) are soft lines and are non-Dyneema so there is a little "give" to the line that adds to the handling comfort when you pull hard. I use the orange or blue "gardening" gloves that are very popular now with the Tornado and 49er sailors. They cost $6US and last 3 months. These gloves give me better comfort and protection than the $30 "sailing" gloves.

The cam cleat on my mainsheet system is setup where I cannot cleat it sailing from the wire upwind. This forces me to play the mainsheet and I'm sailing faster with this setup. I also added some 2" plastic tube spacers between the cam cleat and eyestrap fairlead to prevent the mainsheet from cleating while sailing downwind in wild mode. You see this modification on a lot of the top A-class and Tornado sailors boats.

8:1 with the 6 mm mainsheet runs very easily even in the lightest air and has enough purchase that you can trim comfortably and not be forced to cleat it.

Hope this helps.

Bob Hodges