GRAUPNER GmbH & Co. KG D-73230 KIRCHHEIM/TECK GERMANY
No liability for printing errors. Technical modifications reserved.
09/2011
9
Sailing
Sailing a model yacht is not difficult once you are familiar with the inter-action between the wind direction, the
boat’s heading and the appropriate sail settings. Before you sail the model for the first time, we recommend that
you read all you can on the theory of sailing, e.g. by reading one of the many books on the subject. The
following section just provides a short, basic introduction to the subject.
The various points of sailing (see sketch: specialist terms are printed in italics)
A sailing boat can never sail directly into wind (black
arrow (W)). In the 90° sector (dark grey area) the sails
will always flap about (shiver), and generate no
forward thrust. Only when the boat bears away to
about 45° off the wind direction will it start to p ick up
speed with the sails close-hauled (transition from dark
grey area to light grey area (2a) to (2b)). This heading
is termed luffing. A sailing boat can only make head-
way into the wind on this course and with the sails
close-hauled; the procedure is known as tacking, and
involves sailing in a zig-zag pattern: for a while on the
port tack (mainsail on the left-hand (port) side of the
boat (2a)), then, after going about (the boat’s bow
turns through the wind, from position (2a) via (1) to
(2b)), for a while on the starboard tack (mainsail on the
right-hand (starboard) side of the boat (2b)), etc. Fast,
efficient tacking with a sailing boat demands a good
eye and considerable manual skill, and ranks as the
true art of sailing.
The other courses are not so demanding. If the wind is
blowing from the side, the sails are slackened (paid
out) just to the point where they no longer shiver, i.e.
around 30° to 45° relative to the boat’s longitudin al
axis. This course is known as sailing with wind abeam
((3a) wind abeam on the port bow / (3b) wind abeam
on the starboard bow).
If the boat bears away even further (bearing away: the boat turns away from the wind, i.e. the stern turns
increasingly in the direction of the wind (II) / luffing: the boat’s bow turns increasingly towards the direction of
the wind (I), it ends up on a course with free wind, where the sails are paid out to about 60° to the boat’s
centreline (4a / 4b). The boat only attains its maximum speed on these two headings.
If the boat is sailing directly away from the wind (downwind), we speak of running before the wind. On this
course the sails should be paid out as far as possible (approx. 90° to the boat’s centreline). Differe ntial
pressure conditions on the sails cause the jib to turn to the opposite side to the mainsail by itself, but this
situation can also be generated deliberately by small rudder / course corrections. If the wind is or becomes too
strong, the bow of a sailing boat can very easily be pushed under the water on this heading.
If the boat is sailing with free wind, and is then brought into a position before the wind using the rudder (bearing
away), before being steered back to a free wind heading using the rudder (approximately at right-angles to the
former course with free wind), the boat is said to have performed a gybe. Gybing is complete when the main
boom, paid out a long way, swings from one side of the boat to the other.
Steering characteristics / sailing characteristics
Variations in wind pressure make it difficult for a performance-orientated sailing boat to maintain its course by
itself; gusts of wind may cause it to luff up automatically, i.e. turn into the wind to a greater or lesser extent. This
can be prevented by slightly paying out the sails in good time, and also by applying slight opposite rudder if
necessary, until the gust is past. If the boat should bear away, the sails should be run out at the same time as
the necessary corrective rudder movement is applied. Otherwise, in fairly strong winds the boat will tend simply
to continue stubbornly in a straight line, ignoring the corrective rudder commands. Please note that any sailing
boat will turn uncontrollably into the wind if the breeze is too powerful. This means that the sail area is too
great; if there is no alternative smaller sail suit available, sailing is not possible under these conditions.
NOTE: the two lateral keels are not required for sailing, and tend to slow the boat down, so we recommend that
you remove them for sailing. The full-size boat on which the model is based is typical of this racing class, and
for this reason the lateral keels are also present on the model, although they are not required for actual sailing.
