By Ruedi Moser, who has won the European Championships twice crewing for his brother Eric, and was second in the 1994 World Championships, and 2nd in the 2004 European champs crewing for Urs Schaer.
Crewing is often believed to be easy compared to helming. NOT TRUE! If you want to be a perfect crew, especially in a trapeze boat such as the Fireball, you have to get out and train.
But all the training in the world is of little use when you are hindered by poor equipment. The most important item for a Fireball crew is a comfortable trapeze harness. This should support the back, not put stress on it which a badly designed one will do. You have to make sure it's the right size; make sure you don't choose one which is too big. In the shops you will often find only the larger sizes to suit the fatter non-Fireball sailor. All straps should be adjustable, and the hook should be about navel height. Your body will then be balanced when on the wire. The most comfortable sort is one where the hook bar extends as far as the hip bone and relieves the pressure on the pelvis. Make sure that there isn't too much padding (especially cotton wool type). Although this looks very comfortable, it can take in a lot of water and become excessively heavy. Foam is very efficient, although at first it can be a bit stiff, but this quickly improves with use. It is essential to try it out by hanging from something Before you buy it's also worth considering if you are going to wear your lifejacket under or over the harness. Many people put the lifejacket under the harness for additional padding. But I had a problem with the shoulder straps slipping, so I prefer to wear the lifejacket on top. This means the lifejacket has to be short enough not to get in the way of the trapeze hook, and one with straps is preferable to one with a zip.
An important detail is the pulley system used to adjust the trapeze wire. To hold the rope, I use a Clamcleat CL230 which is very reliable, without ever getting my finger trapped in it. When pulled right upwards, my backside is just about a hand's width above the deck. This gives me ease of movement in light winds, making it easy to swing in and out. In the lowest position, the hook is about a hand's width below the edge of the deck. I have the trapeze handle right above the pulley system.
By Ruedi Moser, who has won the European Championships twice crewing for his brother Eric, and was second in the 1994 World Championships crewing for Urs Schaer.
Crewing is often believed to be easy compared to helming. NOT TRUE! If you want to be a perfect crew, especially in a trapeze boat such as the Fireball, you have to get out and train.
But all the training in the world is of little use when you are hindered by poor equipment. The most important item for a Fireball crew is a comfortable trapeze harness. This should support the back, not put stress on it which a badly designed one will do. You have to make sure it's the right size; make sure you don't choose one which is too big. In the shops you will often find only the larger sizes to suit the fatter non-Fireball sailor. All straps should be adjustable, and the hook should be about navel height. Your body will then be balanced when on the wire. The most comfortable sort is one where the hook bar extends as far as the hip bone and relieves the pressure on the pelvis. Make sure that there isn't too much padding (especially cotton wool type). Although this looks very comfortable, it can take in a lot of water and become excessively heavy. Foam is very efficient, although at first it can be a bit stiff, but this quickly improves with use. It is essential to try it out by hanging from something Before you buy it's also worth considering if you are going to wear your lifejacket under or over the harness. Many people put the lifejacket under the harness for additional padding. But I had a problem with the shoulder straps slipping, so I prefer to wear the lifejacket on top. This means the lifejacket has to be short enough not to get in the way of the trapeze hook, and one with straps is preferable to one with a zip.
An important detail is the pulley system used to adjust the trapeze wire. To hold the rope, I use a Clamcleat CL230 which is very reliable, without ever getting my finger trapped in it. When pulled right upwards, my backside is just about a hand's width above the deck. This gives me ease of movement in light winds, making it easy to swing in and out. In the lowest position, the hook is about a hand's width below the edge of the deck. I have the trapeze handle right above the pulley system.