Unless the weather is terrible, I'm going to enter a single handed race on Oct. 3. It's an 8 - 10 hour race, spinnaker, no auto-pilot.

I've done a fair amount of single-handing, but never in a race. My primary concern is controlling the boat when I need to go forward. I was thinking of making a fake auto pilot out of a large dowel with a series of holes to attach to where the real auto-pilot secures to the tiller. I'll use a bolt to insert it into the seat where the pin receptacle is installed. Is there a better way? What about the "Tiller Pilot" control line systems - does anyone have any actual experience with that?

Any tips/tricks I should know before the race?

Locked tillers on a J30 can be a bear... when you are of decent weight and are moving on the boat. I would be more inclined to use some sort of bungee cord ladder that will maintain a more flexible pressure on the tiller. I will have to try that this winter. Pray for steady wind and flat seas.

And tell us how you plan to launch the spin

In any case you can practice by using the autohelm manual mode and see just what fixed points will do when you walk forward.

v

I'm comfortable launching the spin single-handed. I plan to have the trims and halyard hooked up with the bag in the v-berth. When it comes time to launch, I'll clip it to the appropriate side and get the pole up, The sheet will be cleated with plenty of slack. Prefeed the guy from the cabintop, hoist as quickly as possible and trim - hopefully - in time to keep the chute under control. I can go fore and aft as often as necessary to keep the boat on course until I prefeed. Then, well, let's just hope I'm quick enough.

This isn't a buoy race, so getting the kite up cleanly is more important that getting it up fast.

I'm actually more concerned about jibing the pole. Main first or pole first? It will be a challenge to keep the chute full with limited control of the sheets and the helm.

I've tried "bungy-ing" the tiller without success. I was thinking a little bit of helm with the tiller locked just to weather would let me keep the boat more or less on course by moving to the high or low side as needed.

The race starts about 25 miles from my harbor, so I plan to deliver the boat the day before single-handed to get some practice in and to find what does and does not work.

I know there is a certain Macho component to being j30 skipper ... but a lot of this could be easier if you could borrow a sock.

or maybe raise it with breakable stops

Will you really need a Pole? or maybe think about using the spin somewhat more like a cruising spin?

I think the key will be going as simple as you can. and don't think like its a J30 racing team ...

Not able to use an autohelm is a big handicap single handed on a J30.

going down wind with any kind of sea state boat motion ... rounding up or jibing ... controling the boat on a broad reach

I would try to get a crew person on board for the practice ... just so you would have more time to test alternatives.

I would love to be on a spectator boat to see how you do it.

I have used the chute short-handed and have found that if you gibe the main first, the top third of the chute wraps the headstay. If you gibe the chute first, the top third of the chute wraps the headstay. WTF When this happened to me one time, I was on the bow pulling and cussing, when another boat sailed by and told me to gibe the main back. I sailed a little lower, gibed the main, and the top of the chute started unwinding. Bottom line, if the chute wraps during a gibe or whatever, pull the pole back, sail low and gibe the main. When it streightens out, gibe the main and adjust the trim. fwiw

Here is a trick that may work. Pull the backstay down and as you do, put the tip of the tiller inside the triangle and pull the backstay down a bit more. This will hold the tiller dead straight.

Some people use this technique to keep the tiller from banging around when they are on a mooring.

Thanks for the tips. I made my dummy auto-pilot and tried it out on Sunday - works great! I should be in business.

The forecast suggests the weather could be nice this Saturday, so it looks like the race is on.

Any update on how the race went and any learnings that you may have had? I am going to be doing some single-handed races this year and the J/30 is new to me. Would appreciate any pointers.

Came in second, went inshore in anticipation of a forecasted shift and the breeze went the opposite of what was forecast so I was picked off by a boat that stayed out.

I cleaned up downwind though (1st leg); I had a very nice lead after 12 miles of reaching and running with the breeze starting off in the low teens and dropping to about 8 before coming back up again to 10 -12.

The biggest problem was keeping the boat on course while trying to clip up the chute. My dummy auto-pilot worked well in practice, but during the race the performance was less than wonderful. I would round up almost every time I went forward. At the start, the wind was abeam and I reached with the 1. Once the breeze came a bit aft I wanted to pop the chute, but had a hard time keeping the boat on course while setting everything up. I eventually got it sorted and got the chute up.

I prefed the guy from the cockpit then ran to the mast and jumped the halyard very, very quickly. While this was happening, the boat started to turn to windward, so I ran back to the helm, grabbed the guy on the way, pulled the pole back a bit, cleated the guy, drove down, and sheeted the chute in. The only advice I can give you is move quickly.

At this point, course was a broad reach that eventually became a run. I was trimming with one hand and driving with the other. My arm wore out after a while, so I cleated the sheet off at about the end of where I was easing it to and was able to banjo the sheet between the cabin top cleat and the turning block to keep it flying with a curl.

To douse, I hoisted the 1 from the cockpit, blew the guy, ran forward and grabbed the sheet in one hand, blew that halyard with the other and frantically shoved the chute down the hatch. The boat rounded head to wind before I finished that maneuver. Also, I dropped a bit early to leave some runway between me and the large, concrete fixed mark. So, I lost some time there.

The upwind leg turned into a 12 mile beat. For the last couple of miles, I was overpowered with the 1, but a change to the 3 wasn't happening.

All in all, it was a blast and I'm looking forward to next year.

Ah ... to be that real age again.

Brain of 18 year old, body of 70 ...
we don't do that stuff anymore.

so do it while you can. great post.

v