I think the remote spinnaker tack line release system that our Blade came with is really cool. See picture. It's probably old hat to you guys, but I'd never seen this done before.

Question for Blade owners: do your boats bear off during single-handed spinnaker douses? If so, any good strategies for dealing with this other than kneeling on the tiller?

That is a neat set up but I would worry about accidently snagging the realease line when jibing/etc. On another boat I sail the tack line has come uncleated several times because it is at the back of the tramp because someone snagged it.
After having the single line set up on my blade it is hard to imagine going back to a separate tack line set up. What is the advantage of having it separate? The only thing I can think of is maybe the advantage of tweaking the halyard or tack line when on a reach to let it swing to the side some. It has to be faster to raise with a single line set up- whether you are sailing one up or 2 up.

If you want to see something really neat, check out David Holigan's boat, who races his Blade in Dubai, has his tack line (same as pictured above) rigged to both sides of the tramp, so he can reach it from either side.

I have the same set up as above, never have accidently dumped it, it's forward of mid tramp and I usually sit at the back and sail uni, no crew to snag it.

I personally think the two line system may be faster, or at least as fast as a single line system, as there is less drag, two less blocks for the halyard to pass through, and it goes up easier, comes down faster.

As far as bearing off during take downs uni, mine usually heads up, I have to make sure I don't come up and hit the mark as I round it while snuffing.

At the A mark, I drop the traveler quite a bit to help it bear off, get it moving in the right direction, then let go of the tiller completely, pull the tack line, then halyard then trim in, pull traveler up, head up, fly hull, bear off to keep hull up about a foot.

The T fleet experimented with single line setups and now nearly all teams use two lines. Since fleet racing uses an offset mark after the windward, we can pull out the tack well before turning downwind, so there is less work/effort to do once we start raising the sail. There is also the ability to ease out the tack to help flatten the sail...for example if you've overstood the layline and need to sail hotter angles.

However, for single-handed sailing, I think a single line setup might be better.
Mike.

With a single line setup you can also ease out the tack of the line. For singlehanding you can't pull the tack out on the reach anyway and so the main advantage of the double line system goes away.

I heavily believe in the single line setup, unless maybe you are racing 2-up all the time and with a dedicated crew. If the crew is not very much committed then I feel the 2 line system is too confusing and actually slower then the single line one.

Wouter

As far as steering while working the chute up or down I've had success with laying the back of my foot over the tiller. I am kneeling when i do this. i can actually steer with the foot. I definately need to improve my dousing time. Ed