Hi Don,
Thanks, it had to be a good boat as it is going to have to last me at least a decade.
Twin wheels are great for opening up the cockpit so that its much more usable when you are by the dock or at anchor. A single wheel is such a barrier that at some boat shows they even remove the wheel to make the cockpit look bigger. Under sail, you always have a clear view of the headsail whether you choose to helm from the windward or leeward side. It was one of the features that I had on my list of essentials when I started my research. The slight disadvantage of the position of the aft winches is well worth the trade-of IMHO.
We installed Raymarine instruments despite the Jeanneau options listing B&G. The choice was based on a preference for the Raymarine auto pilot which has proved to be a gem. So on the starboard side we have a multifunction screen with chart plotter which can also display all the data you need for sailing (wind, course, depth etc). Then on the port side there is a small screen for the autopilot and another dedicated to sailing data display. So, yes, for racing around the cans we have the same data at both helm positions.
Reversing doesn't present a problem for me:
As you can see, I have got used to steering while standing aft of the wheel where I can easily reach down to operate the throttle lever (hidden behind the rego number in this pic). She is slow to get going in reverse which is probably due to the folding prop but steers very accurately and will stop on a dime as soon as you hit forward gear as the displacement is quite light at 5300 kgs.
We race regularly in non-spinnaker twilight races in a large and very mixed fleet. As I often end up sailing single handed, she is now rigged with a self-tacking jib. The best point of sailing is upwind where we see off Solings and Diamonds and stay very close to the Etchells and 5.5s. But down wind we suffer against anything with an overlapping jib except when the conditions are such that they start rounding up and we stay very nicely on our feet. One of my best results last season was sailing one-up without a reef in 30 knots.
But as it is well equipped for cruising, we get away a bit too. School holidays are best when my grandchildren come aboard for days and nights aboard making the most of the backwaters of Pittwater and Broken Bay.
Hope that helps.