Working Tacks
Maybe the best way to control the tacks, and the sheets, is a loop-circuit. A little slack isn't an issue, though preventing snags on things like anchors, catheads, and other stuff will need to be addressed
(see lizards in the glossary).
Shown are three circuit diagrams; one focused on the tacks, one on tacks and sheets in separate loops, and one on the sheets. (the broken lines are inside the hull.)
The tacks in the sheet-driven circuit will require some playing with to make sure the tacks pull up snug when the opposite sheet is pulled aft.
If the braces of the fore and main/mizzen are on separate winches, then the sheets and tacks of the main and fore coures will need to be as well.
As pointed out previously, the drawback to the loop-circuit system, is that it's not condusive to also controlling the yards with prototypical brace connections (differing lengths). It can handle one yard,
for instance the fore-tops'l yard on one loop, and the main tops'l yard on another loop, with the mizzen connected to the main, yard-to-yard.
After success with self-tending bowlines, I hoped a similar set-up would work with tacks, but I have yet to manage it.
After much measuring and experimenting, I think the simplest way to get this feature, with a winch system, and prototypical brace routing, is the winch system described previously for the Nernberg, which itself, actually controls the
tacks and sheets of the courses as in the second diagram shown above. Based on that, here's a quick sketch of the brace winches for Macedonian based on Nernberg's winches (right).
As in Constellation, I intend to only actively control the braces of the tops'l yards on each mast, and the tacks of the fore and main courses; so there's fewer drums needed, and less space required.
