Don't have pics but will do them in due course, but I will describe it. (I'm away for a couple of weekends). I have two double pulleys one tied to bow top fitting, one to the fittings by the mast. I then take a long thin elastic start with plastic ring then elastic goes  through pulley at bow up and down through the double pulleys (that's just to get enough length in the elastic to give enough stretch at low tension) ending with another plastic ring. Instead of leading the rope through the deck I have a line between the two deck holes with a ring on each end so there is a plastic ring on top of the deck hole.  So now we have rings on the deck where the ropes would have gone through the deck, and two rings attached to thin elastic at the front of the boat.  Lead the ropes through the rings, using the ones at the front to take slack out (one at the front for the downhaul, and one for the outhaul).  It takes a bit of playing with the lengths of rope and elastic. 

 

Rough diagram uploaded. Hope this helps. 

 

An Aero eskimo roll sound interesting but think I will try it in the summer first!  Agree that going under water is not scary if you are expecting it - it was the unexpected foot first pull that took my head under that was the scary bit as I was not expecting it.

 

Peter:

Feet were only on gunwale as top of mast was stuck in mud and I was trying to get it out. We have some gloopy mud on the bottom of our lake and I think my late and failed attempt at going over the top resulted in the mast sinking in to the mud.  Hanging of board had not freed it. Was easier to add some bounce with feet on gunwale, and hence it came up fast and flipped when mast came suddenly free of the mud.  

 

Agree front of board will keep you clear of elastics but with down side of when boat comes up it will turn head to wind quicker as your hold on the boat is nearer the front - effectively moving centre of lateral resistance forward. Also I had not thought through the extra fairleads suggestion and you are obviously correct.

 

To be honest in conditions we were sailing in pulling lines around from one side to the other was very low on my personal the "do to" list. Only 3 boats finished the race (all Aero's) and only one of them without a swim. Thanks for confirming across the boat is ok in the rules - I will make that modification.  

 

I had better read capsize corner now - had been trying to think positive and ignore that bit of forum as capsize is bad for boat speed.

 

Seriously though - I know accidents in sailing are very rare but they do occasionally happen and usually involve some form of getting tangled in a line or elastic- admittedly more often than not related to the trapeze.  But just wanted to air what had happened to me so others can be fore-warned of a very unlikely set of circumstances and therefore avoid it. I guess a few folk will be checking there elastic tension as per Peter's advice this weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have switched to ropes over the deck rather than under the gunnels. Main reason I changed is less friction so the slack automatically centres and never any risk if too much one side rope in the water and too little other side to adjust (so no need to reach under gunnel and pull rope round).  I use elastic and plastic loops to take up the slack. I am wondering about adding righting lines for sea sailing - didn't need them inland but wonder if I might need them with waves.

 

Going under the boat isn't as scary as it sounds. If boat coming up the 'wrong way' (mast to windward so a further roll is inevitable) I've taken to holding onto the plate, going under and back on the other side. It feels crazy at first but once you've done it once it really isn't scary and very quick.  There's a good chance you avoid the second flip and can get going again much quicker.

 

That said I don't think the elastic/ropes are a safety hazard. They wouldn't hold you under water and there's quite a lot of stretch in the elastic.