Slider or fixed

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sailquik said..

barn said..
Fixed spreader bar, slack harness.. So rather than have the hook move, just turn your body in the harness. Also means you can run the waist harness lower.

I can't understand doing a harness up tight, it's so uncomfortable not being able to change positions..

Anyone seen that dude at Sandy Point with two hooks?

Opposite here. Firm harness with sliding spreader bar. It needs to move about 3 inches so I can turn my hips in the direction of travel, especially when sailing upwind. I have a couple of Da Kine speed seats that work well and an older North race harness that I continue to rebuild and repair indefinitely.

Two hooks on spreader bar? That would be Andrew McDougal, founder of KA Sails Australia. Same principle as me but fixed bar with two offset hooks. One for each tack. I think AMac ordered a few boxes of them years ago when he had Wild Winds and he still has them stashed away in reserve for his personal use!

I heard a rumour (from a KA retailer) that AMAC only has one double hook spreader bar left! He sold me on the idea back in the nineties and I'm still using them now (have got spare bars too!)

Prob I found with sliding bars is that if you've turned your body to face forward making the hook move to one side of the harness, then when you gybe to the other tack the hook is on the other side of the harness, forcing one to twist the hips unnaturally towards the tail in order to hook in! Never have this problem with the double hook bar like what AMAC uses, the 'back' offset hook (the one closest to the boom back end on each tack) is always in the right position to hook in with the hips facing slightly forward.

WHO CARES REALLY!!!