Hi Chris

I think I’m a little late to this thread and pretty much everything that needs to have been said, has been done by Simon, Norman and Oliver.  If I may add,  Simon’s point about weight (or can I politely say lack of it?) is crucial.  I am a tad heavier than he is.  Even so,  I would say your reaction times need to so be much quicker when on your own.  If you can anticipate the gusts, you can shift your weight before your boat is knocked flat.    The same gust would pass by a double handed GP14 almost unnoticed.

Apart from a reefing main, the most useful thing I did was fit a furling and reefing jib. The GP14 sails very well with a mainsail only and being able to get rid of everything up front is a huge plus when coming ashore.  A big flapping genoa is a nightmare when on your own.  Equally, if coming in on a lee shore, a furling jib on its own (having already ditched the mainsail) is a delight.

Another one you might think about is fixing your tiller.  I have a bungee secured at each end to my toe straps underneath the tiller.  In the middle of the bungee I have tied a loop which I simply pull over the end of the tiller.  If your boat is well balanced, you can attend to those other jobs at your leisure.

Frank

This is Frank Whitley, I asked Julie to Post the Topic about my Speed Sails GP, so grateful for any replies, which I should now be notified about!

Thanks!

We are of course assuming that an unconscious casualty in the water, once finally back alongside the dinghy is still breathing.  Hopefully with a good lifejacket they will have been kept not only face up, but well clear of the water also.  I’m not sure that most dinghy sailors are necessarily equipped for that worst case MOB scenario…