jib sheet winch

[sigurd]

Hi,

In the regattas with my father's albin express it can sometimes be a bit messy to take off the winch handle, let go the sheet, move to the other side, pull in new sheet, put on handle and winch the last bit. Usually it goes ok. But there is not always a convenient time to go down and put the next tack's sheet around the winch to make everything ready again. And the spinaker is on the same two winches which is also ok but can be a bit messy too when both jib and the spin is up.

So I thought that maybe this winch here could make things go smoother . In the tack I could maybe grab the green sheets on the new ww side directly for 1:1 fast retrieval, then drop it and pull the red line for fine adjustment.
Don't know if it would be allowed by the class rules.

What you think?

[kenJ]

It will not work as shown. Standard winches only rotate in one direction. In the diagram the winch needs to turn clockwise on one tack and CCW on the other to tighten the sheets. Cockpits are usually busy places, especially in races, why add the addtional red line to make even more crowded. Perhaps the solution is to buy a second winch handle so there is one on each side and add a jam cleat near each winch to secure the jib or spin sheet in when both are flying.

[sigurd]

but it isn't a std winch, it goes both ways. and the ropes don't go into the cockpit. But I have since noted there is no space for the winch because of the sliding hatch and some ventilation things right behind the mast.