I had a strange situation occur while trying to get in a last sail before the ice arrives. After I got my problem straightened away, I got to thinking/wondering if a “planned” process could be followed, would it be legal, and would it work?
After seeing a few recent photos of IOM’s with bows stuffed sailing downwind in heavy wind, I thought I would post my thoughts and see what others think.
It was quite windy and I had been playing with my jib boom attachment - moving it forward and back to see effects on sail tune and performance. On one of my downwind runs, the line I had used for the jib swivel (long - so I could adjust and relocate it to jib track) came untied as I sailed downwind in a wing/wing mode. As it came untied, it slipped through the deck fitting until it came to a stopper knot I had tied at the end of the piece of line. The length of this line allowed the foot of my jib to rise vertically nearly 4 inches from the deck, so the jib was “lifting” upwards like an asymetric spinnaker. It was fastened by the jib head to the mast (via halyard), and because I use a stand-alone forestay and also a jib forestay, the tack and clew also raised into the air during the run. Once my initial shock was overcome by the boat as it sailed downwind, with every wind gust trying to lift the bow slightly, I saw the tendency to nosedive was replaced with a lifting force. I got the boat to shore and decided to end the day and de-rigged and went home.
Now, after some thought, I am wondering if this was just good fortune, or if something could be rigged to allow the jib connection to the deck to extend when the sheets are extended for downwind sailing? Haven’t worked out the method yet, and am wondering if something like this (still using only 2 radio channels) could work and would make a difference? Also, wasn’t able to see anything preventing it in most 1 meter (development class) rules, since the jib is still connected to the deck in pretty much the centerline of the boat. I did see possible issues if I tried to gybe with the two forestays possibly in conflict with each other. As the boat gets closehauled, both the jib, main sheet and the jib boom attachment are drawn back down.
I must say, in retrospect, it was kind of exciting to see the bow pop upwards in every gust and the foot of the jib struggled to go higher away from the deck.
Any thoughts?
Thought that occurs quickly is that the best drive mechanism is a cam or eccentric on the sail servo. This allows you to have the mechanism cut in at virtually rate you want as you bear away. With some careful considferation, it shoould place virtually no additional load on the sail servo (i.e. luff is tight before any significant sheet travel takes place.).
Veeeeeeery interesting
This would be easier to do in a class that allows more than 2 channels. An extra servo driving a powerfull, short throw would ease the tack fitting off the wind, and have the power to crank it back tight for the beats.
Trying to do it with just 2 channels requires some gaget on the jib boom tack fitting. If one person does it and gets a speed advantage tnen everyone else will be forced to copy it. Once everyone is doing it the advantage is nullified. All you have accomplished is to add complexity and cost.
The IOM has very restrictive rig requirements suggesting a resistance to any rig developments. I would not like to see such a direction become part of the IOM class.
Not sure that I agree with Hijoball about desirability. IOMs are such evilly manered little brutes downwind that this sounds like a big advantage in terms of control, failure to sink, fun, etc.
As I said before, with a cam you can pretty much reproduce the behaviour of a Highfield lever if you put enough grunt behind it.
An interesting idea for sure, but you are likely to fall foul of the Class Rules…
Pretty much prevents anything being actuated by the winch, effectively killing Angus’ cam arrangement.
Rig fittings are closely controlled by the Class Rules, I think it would be difficult to come up with a workable arrangement that will pass measurement. Hull fittings are less restricted, it may be possible to arrange some sort of mechanical release for the jib boom as it sheets out, but I’m not sure how you’d get it back in!
Cheers
Just a thought -
“If” the jb sheet, connected to winch were to exit deck - up to clew end of ib boom - forward along boom to tack/forestay end - thru block - down to deck fitting ?
Basically a traveller in reverse, (and without the travel 
) Sheeting out the jib would also allow the tack of the jib to rise.
Another idea might be a dual jib sheet. No rules that require only one sheet, so both the jib attachment and the jib boom are controlled via a “Y” (or “V”) shaped sheet.
I don’t know, it was just a thought, and most all boats could use some bow lift downwind in heavy air - mono or multi. 
Just a thought -
“If” the jb sheet, connected to winch were to exit deck - up to clew end of ib boom - forward along boom to tack/forestay end - thru block - down to deck fitting ?
Basically a traveller in reverse, (and without the travel ) Sheeting out the jib would also allow the tack of the jib to rise.
Another idea might be a dual jib sheet. No rules that require only one sheet, so both the jib attachment and the jib boom are controlled via a “Y” (or “V”) shaped sheet.
I don’t know, it was just a thought, and most all boats could use some bow lift downwind in heavy air - mono or multi.
My vision is of a system that is less linearly progressive - simply ‘balloons’ the jib at a certain stage in the main being eased.
Come to think of it, in a Footy the answer is easy. The number of radio channels is restricted but the number of servos is not. All you need is another servo/actuator controlled by a passing contact switch driven by mast/boom rotation. This would certainly change the entire nature of Footy design. The pernicious lack of fore-and-aft stability suddenly becomes irrelevant.
EDIT. If you can find someone with the necessary electronic knowledge, this can probably be triggered in solid state from the servo electronics/mechasnics with less weight and greater reliability. Model aeroplane people???