Unlocking the Mystery of Sail Controls
Unlocking the Mystery of Sail Controls
Feeling as if you've got too many sails with too many adjustments? Bill Draheim boils it all down to a 20-point cheat sheet. "From the Experts" in our October 2008 issue
Bill's 20 Point Sail-Trim Cheat Sheet
1. Sail with a loose headstay in light to moderate air to power up the jib and "decrease" the sheeting angle. Do this by loosening the shrouds and backstay.
2. Sail with a tight headstay in breeze to de-power or flatten the jib and "increase"
the sheeting angle. Do this by tightening the shrouds and backstay.
3. Rake the mast forward in light air to increase the chord length on the sails and
close up the slot between the jib and main.
4. Rake the mast aft in breeze to decrease the chord length on the sails and open up the slot between the jib and main.
5. In light air, induce mast bend with the standing rigging to flatten the front of the main.
6. In breeze, prevent mast bend with the standing rigging as mainsheet tension and backstay will bend the mast enough.
7. When sailing upwind, trim the middle of the jib leech parallel with the centerline
of the boat in moderate air. Twist the leech open in light or heavy air.
8. When sailing upwind, trim the top batten of the main parallel with the boom in
moderate air, twist the leach open in light or heavy air.
9. When sailing downwind, trim the top batten of the main parallel with the boom by adjusting the vang.
10. Put your jib car in a position where the bottom of the jib is slightly flatter than the middle of the jib.
11. In light to moderate air, have wrinkles or scallops in the jib luff and wrinkles in the main luff.
12. In breeze, take out the scallops and wrinkles with the jib halyard and main cunningham.
13. On a sloop-rigged boat, start with the boom on the centerline in light to moderate
air, then put the traveler down in a breeze.
14. On a cat-rigged boat, start with the boom off the centerline in light to moderate air and put the traveler further down in a breeze.
15. Upwind, sail with the outhaul tight in light air or heavy air, loose in moderate.
16. Use only enough backstay to keep the boat from getting overpowered. Some depth in the main is needed to get through waves.
17. In light to moderate air, use no vang upwind. In breeze, use increasing amounts of vang.
18. Upwind, sail with a slight leeward heel in light air; flat or with a slight windward heel in moderate air; and a slight leeward heel in a breeze.
19. Sail the boat heeled to windward downwind.
20. When running downwind, sail with the spinnaker pole as far down and aft as possible to make the spinnaker seem bigger.
