The moment you hook on, lean back and feel the boat come flat under you is the reason people buy trapeze boats. The harness is the one piece of kit between you and the wire, so it has to hold your weight across your back and hips without cutting in, stay put when you swing round the shroud on a tack, and let go the instant you need it to.
Our view: buy the harness with the back support and the release system you trust, and try it on over the wetsuit you sail in before you decide. A harness that fits on the shop floor in a t-shirt can ride up over a skiff suit. We stock Zhik, cut for the 29er, 49er, 420 and RS800 crews who spend whole races on the wire. Wear it over a skiff suit with a reinforced seat.
Back support, a hook that sits at the right height, and a release you can work with cold hands. The harness carries your whole weight through your lower back and hips for the length of a beat, so padding and a stiffened back panel matter more than anything else. The hook needs to sit low enough that you can hang flat but high enough that the trapeze wire does not pull you off balance. Check the release system before you buy.
Do I need a quick release trapeze harness?
We would recommend one for anyone racing a trapeze boat regularly. A quick release lets you drop off the wire in a capsize or a pitchpole without unhooking by hand, which matters most when you are under the sail or the boat is on top of you. World Sailing has pushed the sport towards quick release systems for exactly this reason, and some classes and events require them. Check your class rules, and if in doubt, buy quick release.
How should a trapeze harness fit?
Snug through the hips and lower back so it cannot ride up when you load the wire, with the hook sitting just below your navel when you stand straight. Adjust it over the wetsuit or skiff suit you actually sail in, because a harness set up over a rash vest will be loose over neoprene. The leg straps should be tight enough that the harness does not pull up between your legs when you hang off it. Try hanging from a door frame if you cannot try it on the boat.
Can I use the same harness for helm and crew?
Yes, a trapeze harness is a trapeze harness, whether you are helming a 29er or crewing a 420. The difference is how long you spend on the wire. A crew who is out for most of every leg will want more back support than a helm who hooks on and off through the race. If two of you share a boat, each needs their own harness set up for their body. A shared harness is never adjusted right for either of you.
How do I look after a trapeze harness?
Rinse it in fresh water after every sail, paying attention to the hook and release mechanism, where salt builds up and stops it working smoothly. Hang it to dry out of the sun. Check the webbing and stitching at the start of each season for fraying, and replace the harness if the hook plate is bent or the release has gone stiff. This is a piece of safety kit that you hang your weight off. Do not nurse a worn one through another season.
