Mariquita Book - mk2.5

CALLING
THE TRIM
Technical Note
Mariquita is a long narrow boat. The helmsman is stuck behind a small wheel with very little view of
what is happening on the foredeck let alone the jib sheets. Unlike on a modern yacht where the crew
sit on the rail to keep the weight on the high side and reduce windage, on Mariquita the crew lie across
the deck ‘spooning for speed’. This is partly tradition and partly practical. There are no guard rails on
Mariquita and quite often the crew have to react quickly to a problem with a sheet or the rigging. More
importantly communication is vital on a big classic – the spooning allows the helmsman to see the crew
member who is checking the trim on the jib sheets.
David Bedford
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