Whenever I am cruising my DN I tend to steer with my knees with one hand on the sheet and the other holding my head up so that I can look forward. Sailing a DN is tricky on the neck. You lay down in the hull and end up looking at the top of your mast. In order to look forward one must crane their neck down towards their toes. The older I get the more this hurts. Thanks to John Curtis for this design suggestion. Many DN sailers use a rig to ease neck strain during races.
Parts
1 Grippie Rope Tightener (sku 061-0044-0 at Canadian Tire)
6 ft x 2 inch cotton webbing
3 ft x 3/16 inch Bungee cord
3 ft x 3/16 inch cord
several small cable ties
Step 1
Sew the webbing into 2 loops 32 to 36 inches long. Make sure to put each loop through the Grippie first. Use several passes of zig zag stitch.
Step 2
Determine how to fasten the bungee cord to your helmet. This will depend on helmet type and construction. Make sure you have enough "stretch" to be able to raise your head (flatten your body) when you tack or jibe. I was able to pass the bungee cord right around the helmet through built in loops to give plenty of stretch.
Step 3
Fasten the bungee cord ends to the cord using knots and/or small cable ties.
Step 4
Test everything out in full gear. With your legs through the straps the Grippie should be near your waste. Feed the cord through the top half of the Grippie and cinch it up just before the race.
Step 5
Have fun and be safe.
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