Gear changing is what separates the mid-fleet sailors from those who always seem to be a tad quicker and higher.
While most of the fleet starts the race with a similar setup created with the help of a tuning guide, the fast boats are constantly making additional adjustments. When conditions suddenly change—a puff hits or you sail into a lull,...
The elements of Sail Trim. On a sail boat, one of the key people in the team is the sail trimmer. They take responsibility for optimizing sail performance.
Sail Trim
Power from your sails comes from three sources: Angle, shape, and twist.
Angle - Pull the sail in to add power and ease the sail out and to reduce power.
Shape - deeper...
Understanding and Controlling Upwind Sail Power - Upwind sail power comes from 3 sources:
The angle of attack.
Depth in the sail (draft)
Twist.
When trimming our sails we want to get our boat to full power and we must adjust for the sailing conditions by altering the three power sources listed above.
Sails are built so that they can perform in a variety...
Most sailors know that modern sails perform much like an aeroplane wing and that's the way sails work to windward.
Because of the way that a sail is curved, and because of the angle of attack when trimmed properly, the air passing over the leeward side speeds up in comparison to the air passing over the windward side.
It is the...
Excerpts from an interview with highly accomplished Dinghy through to Maxi Yacht sailor and North Sails sailmaker Michael Coxon. Sails -The controls and Their effects.
What's the most important sail control and how does that vary from class to class? Sails - the controls and their effectsÂ
“The most important sail control for any boat is the sheet tension. Where the...
Use your Traveller or Mainsheet to depower the mainsail. The traveller has two functions, it controls the boom's angle to the wind and it steers the boat controlling helm and heeling in puffs and lulls.
Mainsheet
The mainsheet controls the twist and then you use the traveller to position the boom on the centreline. This gives maximum power and pointing as...
Trimming for Speed. To win a sailboat race you must sail fast and smart. When you have a speed advantage, tactical decisions are easier.
To be fast you have to work at it, your rig needs to be tuned, the hull needs to be fair and smooth and the sails set and trimmed efficiently. By no means less important is...
Sail Trim Rules of Thumb by good friend David Dellenbaugh www.speedandsmarts.com
One objective when you're out sailing is to trim your sails efficiently so you get the best performance from your boat. To do this, it's helpful to have some quick, dependable sail trim references. These will give you maximum performance with a minimum of effort.
SAILING TO WIN BOOK &...
Effects of Headstay Sag
Headstay sag affects everything from boat speed to pointing ability and that's why headstay sag matters.
Sailboats with headstay sag often point higher and maintain boatspeed better in light-air conditions. One of the key methods to power up a sail is to induce sag in the forestay.
Dinghies obviously only have one jib and many sailboat classes limit...
Sail Controls And Their Effects - Sail Controls are the things that you can adjust once afloat to take advantage as the conditions change. I have set these out below in no order of importance. Be aware that some controls on different types of boats will have a varying degree of importance.
Use a practice day to experiment with each...
