footstraps can hurt!

Je.., That is really a horrorscenario came true.

But do you have onely one footstrap or two (per hull)??

For that reason I decided to implement on my cat only 1 footstrap for the back-foot. Which also has a spacious fit; as for helping a possible emergency exit.
I picked a footstrap from a windsurfboard for that.

Anyway lots of success with your broken foot. I hope you will be sailing again in half a year.

P.S. Do you consider to use a higher trapezehook position in future?

ouch!

My foot straps already scare me, that doesn't help.

make sure they're loose enough that you can get your foot out of sideways but tight enough that you can't get your upper ankle shoved into it. You shouldn't look at a footstrap as a way to make your foot captive (easy to keep your foot in but hard to get it out)...look at it as something that you still have to use your foot muscles to hang into. If you ever feel the need to either reach down to open it up for your foot or if you have to wiggle your foot into it, you're doing it wrong.

One of our I20s had two footstraps on the rear of the boat - I've never felt so vulnerable than the 15 seconds I tried to sail with both feet in those straps...that was a train wreck in wait.

Also of note, the Magic Marine

light

footstraps are good in that they are more rigid than some of the others and can be set with a very large opening. We replaced the ones on our Infusion for this reason as they were an older style that wouldn't open up and stay open. I used to just barely put the ball of my toes into the old ones for safety because they wouldn't open up enough to allow escape at extreme angles. The

light

Magic Marine versions are very similar (same with different graphics I believe) that are coming on the newer Infusions/Nacras.

Anyone have a link for a US provider for the Magic Marine footstraps I can only find sites in AU and Europe.

When I tried to get mine, I called Jack Young looking for the new Nacra foot straps. He sent me to the Cat House (Fair Warning: specify

sailing and catamaran

keywords when doing a Google search for The Cat House) and they filled my order. What I received had Magic Marine logos on it but was the same thing. You also might want to check with Brett Moss - he's involved with Magic Marine US now.

LandFall Navigation has them as well HERE

The new ahpc boats seem to have them now so Jill could probably sell you some.

She has Dakine.

I spent a lot of time trying to source those and looked at the Dakine extensively. They're really tailored to things like a windsurfing board where the board weighs significantly less than you do and they fit tighter. They also are padded more and I would assume that's for barefooted use (which also makes them a tighter fit with shoes on). I'm really happy with the light Magic Marine versions (they fit the existing Dakine bolt holes too).

Note, on those Magic Marine ones - I installed mine so the logos would face the

right/same

direction on both hulls (yeah, I know...but it's just how I am). This put one of the top velcro straps facing back and the other facing forward. The forward facing one will get blasted open by water flowing down the leeward side of the boat. You can wrap a little electrical tape around it to keep it from unvelcroing (is that a word?) but if you install them with the upper strap opening from stern to bow (and one logo upside down), you won't have that problem.

Riccardi had a few awhile back, so I would assume Jill WAS getting them. If you find a source let me know ,I need a pair or two also.

Very nice tip! Thank you.

Most of the I/N 20 guys I knew ,including me , used 2 footstraps behind the beam for weight adjustment,i.e. your back foot was in one or the other depending on how bow down you were, not for both feet. I would expect that felt pretty off balance.

I sent Bret an email asking if he had any if he doesn't I'll see what CatHouse has.

Why Magic Marine?
I've since many years Da Kine straps on my windsurfboards and since three years on my cat.

They are perfect. Be sure to buy the adjustable ones.

In Holland they are the best sold trademark for footstraps.

Simply put, they're too tight even with the adjustment. I can adjust them to fit but I still have to wiggle my shoe in. They are certainly comfortable and work great but I don't feel confident that I can get my foot out if something were to go horribly wrong (like what happened in the video). I'll post a picture of the ones I have now on my F18 tonight.

Flipped the 20 years ago training for a Worrell and if my foot hadn't come out of my shoe it woulda been ugly. Righted the boat and the shoe was still in the footstrap. The kind of shoes or boots plays a role in this also, but I agree with Jake the DaKines are made for bare feet and are pretty snug. Although it's what I've always used out of availability.

I have the Magic Marines, got them from Todd. They work nice, but can be a bit harsh on the foot, even with a boot. I guess it's a tradeoff between ease of getting the foot in, and padding on the strap. I also like having less padding to rip/degrade etc.

I just ordered a pair from sturgis boat works. $31.xx shipped.

Bri@sturgisboatworks.com

That might explain it, Ricky Riccardi used to work for them.

I've used Dakines on a Hobie 16 in the past (early to mid-90s). I put them on the side rail (didn't want to add holes in the hull). Never had an issue with getting a bootied-foot into or out of them, they were adjustable as I recall. I never capsized or pitchpoled while using them, so I can't say whether it would have been a problem.

Having said that, almost none of the top H16 guys use (any brand of) straps. Most call them

ankle breakers.

I never put them on any of my new boats (owned three starting in 1997). I can think of lots of capsizes that would have been avoided with them, however...

Mike

if the strap goes past the ball of your foot, it's too far.

As Jake said, it should take a bit of muscle to hold your foot there, so it would be relatively easy to get out of should there be a problem. Wedging your foot in the strap spells eventual disaster.

This has been said a million times before but the footstraps keep your feet from getting swept off by a wave , a chickenline keeps the rest of you in the back of the bus. Wouldn't have done much to help the crew in the vid though, unless she had lines for and aft like we used in the Worrells and Tybees. Too much spaghetti for buoy racing though.

I asked Dazz, who started this thread and broke his foot, after the rather low trapeze-hook position.

I asked that because when sailing at sea and using the hookposition from the vid that is impossible. You are hit from the cat in the first wave you meet.

So, for me using a low hookposition, looks more something for flatwater sailing. Nevertheless I keep wondering why you want to chose for such a low position as is seen on the vid.
I mean he was hanging in an angle of more than 90 degrees to the hull.

Is that still usefull?? 90 degrees gives the most leverage, doesn't it. And even so, a footstrap is supposed to keep you from being pulled forward and not from pushed backward. So if there is a serious risk for that last, do not ever use the footstrap,

IMHO the AHPC footstraps are too soft and harder to kick out of than the Magicmarine/Nacra one's.

You'd think somebody would invent a breakaway footstrap, kind of like the binding release on downhill skis.

As far as I can tell, that video is not of Dazz.

Untitled by Green Room Graphics, on Flickr

This is what I'm talking about...a much more open loop than the DaKine style straps.

The video is of Julia and James sailing the Viper, Julia is the one with the busted foot and the moon boot to prove it!

It has been said that that the nosedive was cause by the skipper not concentrating on where he is going. I tend to agree that Julia could have been trapping a little higher so she didn't hit the waves.

Originally Posted by Jake

Untitled by Green Room Graphics, on Flickr

This is what I'm talking about...a much more open loop than the DaKine style straps.

standard equipment on C2 and Vipers now, my C2 came with those.