I am finding it impossible to unlearn this bad habit. I am getting pretty good at doing it the wrong way though!
I find that holding the tiller extension like a microphone across one's chest fine except in light shifty winds. Under these conditions, when you need to suddenly pull yourself inboard and maybe even to leeward then you have this tiller extension stopping you (and you have to do a quick S to move the tiller so there is room to get it past the main sheet). I could shorten the tiller extension but other than this it seems a great length.
As most of my Laser sailing is on inland lakes at the moment maybe I'm experiencing conditions that are less common on open waters (e.g. the sea). Do others have the same problem with the tiller extension and mainsheet when trying to continue a straight course whilst moving across the boat ?
Ian
nope, never had problems with it, then again, 3 CISA's, and 4 years of junior laser sailing in the summer, and millions of practice tacks on the whistle, and you get the idea pretty damn quick lol
practice practice practice
In the video from Rooster it shows the sailor turning facing backwards, I have never done it that way and I am glad you mentioned to always turn facing fore.
I would expect those of us sailing on small sheltered puddles would come across such conditions more often.
Ian