Favorite trapeze harness

Now that I've purchased a Capricorn F18, which will arrive in a couple of weeks time, I need to acquire the gear to go with it. There are a LOT of different trapeze harnesses out there, so I'd like to thin out the list by asking everyone what they've tried and liked the best. At the moment, I'm strongly considering a Ronstan CL10 or CL11. If there's a better choice, or I'm looking at the wrong kind of harness entirely - please let me know!

I like the
Worrell 1000 by aquata.
ZHIK also makes a great harness I'd use the ZHIK if my trap system worked with it. It's a little more Expensive but well worth it.

For marks I like the Goodall, For distance I like the Aquata Worrell 1000.

Both my wife and I use the Magic Marine Revolution harness. Its comfortable but probably heavier than a lot of the others available. The reason I got it was the Yoke for a neck strap so it cant slide off the shoulder or spread the weight unevenly, the buckle covers so that the buckles can't be unhooked accidentally, the leg strap padding and the hard back which seems to let me stay straighter without loading up my back. I adjusted it to fit me when I got it and just slide in and out of it when I use it. They're not listed at Catsailor on line store
theres a good photo of it at
http://www.sailingproshop.com/Products/Magic-Marine-Revolution-Trapeze-Harness__MM086500.aspx
Enjoy your boat

I have owned magic marine, gill, zhik, custom made jobs, and used hobie.

The Zhik is head and shoulders above the rest.

http://www.zhik.com/ProductDetails.aspx?category=1&element=62&PKID=3414&CategoryID=

Lots of folks like the Aquata stuff. We have all their harness right here on this site. Here is the Worrell
https://store.catsailor.com/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=16546&idcategory=273
Also, we carry the Ronstan, Zhik, Murray, Gill, etc.
Good way to find them is go to
www.OnLineMarineStore.com and click on
Browse by Brand

Good luck with the new boat.
Rick

Old salt, not sure if you are planning to get into racing the Capricorn, but just want to let you know that the 2010 F18 North Americans are on in Wisconsin in August. The latest boat to sign up is also from Nova Scotia. Details at http://crawsailing.net/Racine2010. 36 F18s signed up so far for their North American Championship, and a total of 53 boats over four classes for the combined Racine Catamaran Champs. It's going to be epic!

i always use my Dakine Nitrous shorts(with built in harness) unless i'm going long distance then i use my Worrell 1000. nothing beats the convenience on the Nitrous shorts. love it.

cc

The Worrell 1000 has been mentioned 3 times so far, the Zhik twice. I'll take a second look at these!

Had lots of different harnesses and the best ones i have ever used is custom made ones or older ones.

Used my mum's 20 year old one for ages which was very nice, even nicer is the one i made with my friend at his sail loft.

I find all the ones with adjustment and buckles just get in the way and catch and don't ussally ever seem to fit me in any nice way.

Zhik one looks the best of the production one. The worrell one looks like it has way to much stuff hanging of it.

The Worrell is a distance racing harness, I wouldn't consider it unless you want a harness strictly for that or recreational sailing. I can't imagine using it for buoys, it definitely restricts your movement a bit.
We use the Ronstan CL11 Racing Harness for buoys and have been very happy with it. The torso support works really well once you figure it out without putting any stress on your shoulder straps.

I use a Dakine but bucket style harness for distance racing - the most comfortable harness I've ever worn. I used to use a Magic Marine Equipe with foam pads stuck inside to relieve pressure on the hips - that was pretty good but our ground crew lost it last year.

For round the cans I use a magic marine but bucket - not amazingly comfortable - but not too bad and the races don't last too long

The Zhik looks good - but it's hard to space the cleats for chicken lines on this design - much easier with the spreader bar style.

Chris.

I like the simplicity of the Zhik, but does the unsecured hook not cause problems?

Thanks,
Kai

IMHO the Zhik harness looks great for helming but not for crewing because it doesn't have a bar where you can fit cleats for the chickenwire.
So far my favorite is the Hobie Convertible harness, lots of back-support and very comfortable.

I use a Dakine XT Seat windsurfing harness. It's got great lower back support, adjustability and mobility.

Thanks for the info, and I do think I'll get into racing someday, but I think I'll start off this season by just learning to sail the boat well without capsizing or falling off. That and re-learning rules, tactics etc. As much as I love sailboat racing, and I was pretty good at the time, that was 25 years and 80 pounds ago. Once I get used to the boat, then I can start racking up DNF's and last place finishes here in Canada before I start to worry about my international record . I see the boat from NS is Chris Prentice. He is on a road trip through the States this week, one stop he is making is to pick up my boat from Olli Jason, who is also entered. Pretty tough competition for a relatvely new sailor!

Come to Racine - you won't regret it. Great venue, but beyond that you'll be among a friendly fleet that will get you a season's worth of sailing in a week. There will be lots of advice available for free. There just isn't a substitute for making your class nationals each year. Pack up the boat and get there.

I have had a bunch of harnesses and I got the Zhik because I was told it was the only harness I could get that would work both on distance and buoy racing. I was told the truth. I use mine for Tybees, a-cat'ing, N20 buoys, etc. Works great, though it can be little uncomfortable standing up in it. One big plus - it's very easy to take on and off with the velcro.

The Zhik does have a spreader bar buried inside the cloth. Several Tybee guys have fit cleats to them, and I'm sure Mike Krantz could tell you how to do it.

Also, should have talked about the lack of a positive lock. I don't think you need one of these or even really want one. I've had no problems staying on the hook, even after getting my feet washed off the boat and being dragged underwater at 15 knots.

I ,situationally, disagree with this. The "keeper" is absolutely necessary on some trap set-ups and beneficial on some others. The ring won't fall out while your trapping or getting dragged underwater(What's up with that, Trey?Get your crew in line)it'll come off when sitting on deck,preparing to go out or transitioning. My marks harness doesn't have one, my distance harness does. I've been dropped off the side with my marks harness because of that.Not as big a deal on a w/l ,but certainly a big deal offshore.
To each his own.

If you need a positive lock on your trap harness that's a clear indication that your trapeze rings are mounted incorrectly. If mounted correctly the ring/loop is pulled up and stay in the hook once put in it.

If you have a trapeze system where the shock cord pulls the ring down, don't get a locking hook, change the system.

What Pepin said.

I cut all my keepers off - I've never experienced a time that I needed it (unless my bunji on my trap wasn't working correctly for some reason). I cut the keepers off because I was sometimes getting fooled into thinking I was hooked in when I was not...which sucks when you're sailing an a-cat and there's nobody to come back to get you.

JC made my keeper into a nice piece of jewelry that I have to wear for a year.

I find the keepers really annoying when coming in off the wire, and i just get rid of them every time. I have a fully adjustable
(skiff) trapeze system on both the cats i sail (one as helm, one as crew) and never fallen off, just got to make sure your hooked on before you jump out, or hook on once your out there!

BTW I sailed a 49er as a crew recently, and the #1 annoyance was the trapeze system where the ring is pulled down by the shock cord. Not only it is pulled down but when you stand up the ring height at standstill is lower than the hook on your harness. And you spend your time running around standing up on those boats! So you end up having one of your hand just to keep the damn ring from falling of. Considering you need at least 3 hands and quick feet to manage the crazy amount of unstable sail area this didn't go well really.

I mentioned to the boat owner that IMHO those were rigged incorrectly, but it seems the norm in the skiff world: .

Miss the hook on a cat you have half a chance to recover as long as you grab onto something. Miss the hook on a 49er you take a bath and the boat capsizes instantly.

Love fully adjustables on cats, i find that when helming i come out of a tack grab the ring, hook on and just slide my hand a little bit up the string to keep it hooked on and then go out just holding onto the string. I find it's the quickest way, no fiddiling around finding handles or disks or fidiling with hands to hold sheetes ect.

And as a crew up wind i hook on when out there, and downwind i do the same as when helming

Thanks for making my point on the keeper AFTER disagreeing with me.

As of today we have 40 F18's registered!

Hu? I think you are misreading what I said. On the 49er they don't want keepers, ever. But most of them rig they hooks in a way that auto detach you unless you keep your hand on it.

I think keeper == bad and pull down rings == bad.

No keeper and a pull up ring is the best combination. So yup, I disagree with you

Yep, keeping one hand on your hook sounds real efficient.

To clarify all of my rings, on the A and the 20 ,pull up. I still like the idea of the keeper for offshore distance racing.2nd day of the Tybee this year is a perfect example. We were getting knocked around right much. I was on deck and the trap served as much as a lifeline as a trapeze.I was hooked and I knew it. Without a keeper the violent motion of the boat alone could have easily unhooked it. One less thing to worry about in the nasty stuff. Like I said before "To each his own".

Keeping your hand on your ring is actually quite effective lol. On a skiff you use your adjuster alot if you are moving in and out a lot so that your ring is nearlly always at crouching level. I do similar on cats with a fully adjustble system, it means you can move in and out withouth fidiling with handles and it means you steer straight. Also having a keeper is a total scumbag when you are trying to unhook. When i come off the wire i pull myself up to standing and my hook just falls off, which is very nice when tacking as a helm and gybing as a crew as it means you can stay out on the wire longer and roll the boat.

It is really personal prefernece and trapezing style, I use my adjuster alot and go out without hooking on when crewing (and helming sometimes)

Magic Marine Pro Harness or Revolution are by far the best. I tried all of them Aquata, Gill, Gull and zhik . You can get them in Us at the
http://www.sailingproshop.com/Products/Magic-Marine-Revolution-Trapeze-Harness__MM086500.aspx or in Canada at Cata Peformance www.cataperformance.com

In Canada at Cata Peformance...not very useful site as it is mostly french