I need to get some footstraps installed ASAP. What do you all run if any? Where to install them? How far back? How many? two per side or one is enough?


Dont tell me to search, because I DID. The results were crap. I am looking for something a little more up to date. In other words, what would you have to say about them TODAY

Still working on that one myself.

Wouter

A footstrap will keep you attached to the back, where you need to be if you don't want to pitchpole on a stuff. Take a good look at the excellent Spitfire video where the 3 boats are showing off under that bridge in 20+ winds. You will see them repeatedly stuff the bows and save it, becuase they stayed at the back of the boat. The couple of times the do pitch pole is when their feet slip out of the straps and the crew slides forward.

I have had this happen to me several times on the Inter 20. The only times I ever pitchpolled were when the crew's foot slipped out of the strap and they flew forward, around the bow, over you go. As long as you can stay at the back of the boat you can usually save it. Without a foot hold back there, you are going to do the Peter Pan.

When I sailed Matt's Blade with him driving, I was out on the wire trimming the spinnaker, we would occaisionally stuff the low bow. I had me toes stuffed into the space between his back side and the rear beam, still I nearly lost my grip and almost flew. But we were able to save it, the bow popped right back up and on we went. The feeling of security back there when you are firmly anchored to the boat will allow you to push the boat harder, and save it more often, than without straps.

I have heard some say, "You don't need them, just bear off more and go deeper, you are trying to go to the C mark anyway, so go deeper, sit on the tramp, don't even go out on the wire downwind." Well, that might work most of the time, in medium wind, but when it gets wild and you need to be out there to hold the hull down, of if you have to reach up for a B mark, or to go around traffic, it's nice to have something to anchor your foot into.

Attached picture of footstrap on my Stealth. Just one each side, as far back as I can get them. I use a couple of windsurfing straps - relatively cheap and comfortable, screwed into nylon cavity wall fixings that are epoxied in.
They're about due for replacing though

Post deleted by Mary

John, in your photo your straps are WAY back. Would you put them that far back if you were solo? On my non-spin solo boat I never trap this far back. If I added a spin would I be this far back? With crew, weight and power are so different that solo settings MUST be different. Is that why some people have two sets of footstraps?

Before you drill holes, put your rudders on, and be sure that when turning the rudders the tiller arms will clear the footstraps.

The reason most Inter 20's have two sets of footstraps is one for skipper, one for crew. Remember these guys do a lot of distance racing and if the wind is right, they often end up double trapped for a very long reach, in the ocean, where you will stuff the bows into some big waves. If you are only going to race triangles, (or windward/leewards) inshore, you can probably get away with only one set for the crew, but when you are solo it's for the skipper of course.

David,
I don't need toestraps if I'm forward of the rear beam, and yes I do use these straps when solo (but only off the wind). When fully powered up with the kite in a blow, I'm trapezing as far back as I can possibly get, and the boat is planing downwind....

If we're two up, then my crew is just forward of the rear beam and I'm level with it (aft foot in the toestrap).

The farther back you get them, the better off you will be. When you need these straps will be at times when you prefer to be very far aft. Just don't get your foot where it will interfere with the tiller.

I am going to try to verbally explain how I did mine, then I'll see if I can find a picture. But first I must say that a lot of people have used windsurfing straps and love them. Many of them are even adjustable for size.

I used a length of 2" tubular webbing (found in a mountain climbing store). I fastened it on the corner of the deck to gunwhale and this allows my foot to be on either the gunwhale, corner, or even deck if I wish. I doubled the end over on each end and fastened it with nut and bolt, one through deck, one through gunwhale on each end.

I provided backing in the form of a 1" carbon tube, split lengthwise. The convex side of the half circular piece is against the corner of the gunwhale to deck interface. I used ny-lock stainless steel nuts and had to use needle nose pliers to hold them because my carbon tube would not allow the clearance needed for a socket wrench. So aluminum flat metal may be better, would allow use of a wrench. Stay away from 90º angle metal because the sharp corner would interfere with the radius of the corner joint. Also, the bolts need to be staggered so that they do not align vertically or else the two bolts will collide.

I sized the straps and determined the mounting points by forming them over my boot which I had stuffed with a rag to resemble my foot size.

These straps are so strong that I can lift the boat with them.

GARY

I use Windsurfer ones on My inter 17.

The ones at the back are for when it's really windy



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Okay,

I want a pair of those F16 logo for my sterns as well. Seems like they are the standard identifier on the F16's now with many F16 sailors using them. So I'll go with the pack.

Where do I get them and how much are they.

Wouter

Wouter,

Jake very kindly emailed me the logo in .tif format and I just took it to a local vinyl sign shop. 4 logos cost me £15 (about 22Euros)

All these footstraps look a lot like just that, footstraps. I tought the idea was to use them as toestraps, just as on windsurfers. I for sure would not want to do a pitchpole with my foot/ankle firmly in one of those. Isn't this how Glenn Ashby broke his ankle some weeks ago?

Can't speak for F16 but suspect it would be the same as F18. The short answer is "YES". Most of the guys down here run the strap actually further back, as close to the transom as possible. The strap pictured is where my front foot goes.

The need to trap that far back on a non spi boat is really only limited to windy reaches.

Tiger Mike

It is possible but i usually only have my toes in there max - just enough to hook onto. GA over balanced when looking backwards and fell between the hulls when they were sailing back to shore and did manage to get his foot stuck in the strap. General advise is to keep the strap relatively loose so that you can hold it taught in the forward position but so it is still loose enough so your foot automatically slides out when things go really pear shaped.

Tiger Mike

In lieu of footstraps, what are people's opinions of Tornado_Alive's chicken line set up? Line hooks to the trapeze buckle from the rear beam...maybe you cannot get back far enough??? Thoughts?

http://www.catsailor.com/bb_files/68415-Chicken%20Line.JPG

No holes in the boat and the bunge takes the slack out of the line when not in use.....

Use a F16 resource. Robi has them, but shipping may be a bad move. Robi needs a EU based office, too.

On my boat that is not far back enough.

I don't need footstraps on upwind work or normal reaches. Just when handling the spi solo or when reaching in big wind (either setup). In these cases I need to be to the rear of the rearbeam or straddling it.

Wouter

I have two windsurfer-type straps on each side for the 5.7. They are set up pretty far back as well and are meant to be used 1 per crew member. There is also a chicken line run through the rear beam and attached to the stern to keep you from going forward if you stuff it.