Ouch !!!

As they say: “The next best thing to sailing boats is talking about sailing boats”.

George, do you recall the diameter of your jib sheets and the size of your winches? (It will be stamped on the top if it is a Lewmar.) It has been my experience that a line, properly sized for the winch, will loop around it four times max. A thicker line could have one less loop and still provide the same “grip” after you pull some tension in the tail. If you are only using one or two loops then your hand is acting as the brake and not the winch. Winches work on friction. The more loops, the more line in contact with the winch drum = more friction = more stopping power.

I may be off base but on a 22' you probably don't even need to "winch" your sheets. You sure shouldn't be wrapping them around your hand...ever.

Just my .02 here but on my 27' the winch handle rarely leaves the holder unless I am trying to get real close, just practice tacking with two wraps and timing your pull while the sheet is luffing.

I think the pain might be caused by being too tense, relax and let the wind do the work and if you miss it don't stress

Oh yeah....if you have trouble gripping you can either get a set of gloves or just wet the sheets a little once in a while