A long time ago, there was a thread created that detailed some of the steps that the worrell teams go through to prep their boats for the race. Things like putting on an extra traveller car, setting up chicken lines and that sort of thing. I can't seem to find the thread anymore, and I'm in the process of learning all I can about getting the boat ready, and I could use some advice :P

just do a search for "chicken" and you will find it

Here's the link:

http://www.geocities.com/~santana35/worrell2000/prepare.htm

^ thanks, awesome resource.

What a great list of ideas on that site - certainly given us some food for thought as we make plans for next years Great Texas Catamran Race.

Here are a couple of additional ideas from stuff I saw on other peoples boats at distance races this year:

• Spare jib halyard already rigged but left left loose. I don't think there is any sensible way to change a broken job halyard on the water - hence the need for a spare.
• Additional side shrouds rigged to the spinnaker tang to stabilise the comp tip (this was on a Hobie Miracle 20). The shrouds were made out of some fancy line like vectran or spectra.
• An alternative way of rigging a 2:1 system for the spinnaker sheet. Instead of a jam cleat like the picture on the website link above, you can use a stainless S hook. Close off one end in a vice and use the loop to tie it to the chainplate at the bottom of the side shroud. Then tie a figure of 8 knot in the end of the spin sheet where it passes through a pulley at the clew. When you want the 2:1 system you just pull back the figure of 8 knot and jam it behind the S hook. The S hook is held up out of the way with a short length of bungee tied up the side shroud. Kind of hard to describe but it works very well and the hook doesn't seem to catch on anything when not in use.

Chris.