I weigh 160lbs. Unless there was nuclear winds I don't think I could right it with out the bag. Then only complaint I have about using a bag is storing it. I want to add a pocket to the bottom side of the tramp facing forwards so it is out of the way. I use the smaller one from Murray's and with the location of the pocket currently on the tramp it can interfere with the mast rotator. I does not take much for me to pull it up with the bag, and if Mike can right his at 200 you'll probably be able to do it at 180, but thats just a guess.
I've always had the wings, but I've sailed it and raced it without the wings. To be perfectly honest, unless your twig skinny like me I wouldn't get them. For just casual sailing they are sweet, but in moderate wind while racing its just added weight and your depowering the boat in anything much over 10-12mph winds anyhow. I think the wings make it harder to right, not so much in pulling it up but getting the bows turned into the wind. A couple of times I've had to stand on the sterns and cartwheel the boat to get it into position to pull it up. That's just a theory though, I haven't crashed without the wings. I really liked having them when I was on Lake Superior last summer. The water is freakin cold, and trapping off the wings you stay pretty much out of any spray.
Dan, I really hope you consider joining us at Havasu in November for the Mega. A few more boats and I will be able to plead our case with the HCA
and we'll have the first FXone North American Championship. I'll be more than happy to bring up the rear.
Work on the prebend, both Mike and I talked a bit on the phone, and both of our boats seemed to like alot of diamond wire tension. I set the rake of the spreaders based on the tuning guide for my weight, and everytime I went to a tighter setting on the wires its seemed better and better.
I don't run much mast rake, only time I do is when its really blowing.
A couple of things I changed in the running of lines.
-Add a block on the front beam for the spinnaker sheets if it hasn't been done already. I've been debating getting a second set of witchable ratchet blocks for this, as mine on the beam just free wheel.
-The line for the mast rotation can be made continous by adding a small block and a shackle. I just hog ringed the loose ends together and covered the "joint" with heatshrink so it didn't snag on anything. Its a real pain when you need to power up and its tight on the low side of the boat. The down side is when it is pulled in you'll have some extra line dragging in the water. Probably pretty nominal problem if its blowing though. Plus you don't have to snake the line under the tramp when ever you put the stick up.
- There is a grommet in the tramp just behind the dolphin strike rod and in front of the pocket. I used a short piece of line and tied a block up on the bottom side of the tramp for my trapeze shock cord. The added length is nice because you will be trapped out from almost anywhere front to back on the boat depending on the conditions. Also, having the "V" shape with the shock cord under the tramp helps hold up the excess rotation control line out of the water.
-I haven't found a good spot to tie off the downhaul line. They're always in the way.
You won't regret it, the FXone is a really slick boat. Keep you're weight forward as much as you can. It really likes having the bows down, and it will actually drive really hard with the tips under water just a bit. But its like standing in an automatic carwash with the nose down.