6
READlNG THE WlND
When you get to your favorite pond, take a few moments to
observe wind direction, speed, and frequency of gusts and adjust
your sailboat's rigging as necessary What follows are guidelines for
tuning your ship's sails and rigging, but with experience you will
gain the ability to fine-tune your sails and rigging for
optimal performance, regardless of conditions.
For light wind conditions (1-5 MPH): Use the black adjustment
blocks (bowsies) located between the tops of the sails and the
masthead to tighten the sails SO they will respond to the slightest
push from the wind.
For medium wind (6-10MPH): Loosen the sails slightly in order to
find
The most efficient combination of sail shape and tension. As a
rough guideline, you will want it somewhere in between the light
and high wind set-up
For high wind conditions (11- 15MPH): Loosen the front sail and
main sail further. They will be better able to handle the high winds
and your hull will be less likely to lie over on its side.
GETTING WHERE YOU NEED TO GO
Sailboats can easily sail downwind but sailing against the wind can
be quite challenging. In fact, sailboats cannot sail directly into the
wind and attempting to do so will leave you in irons. Sailboats can
sail at up to a 45° angle against the wind, movements against the
wind are known as tacking. Take a moment to study the diagram
below as you read through these definitions.
DOWNWIND:
Sailing with the wind coming from stern (a.k.a.
running and sailing free).
IN IRONS:
A sailboat is said to be “in irons”, when the boat stalls
with its bow pointed directly into the wind with its sails struggling to
fill with air (luffing), keeping the boat from moving. lf you find
yourself in this position, simply move the rudder stick to either side
and hold it until the sails catch some air. You will need to adjust the
tension on the sails with the sail control stick to get the boat moving.
Release the rudder when the ship reaches the desired heading.
LUFFING:
When the sails are unable to fill with wind and begin
flapping wildly (like a flag).
TACKING:
Sailing towards the wind in a series of maneuvers
diagonal to the wind source. There are basically two tacking
directions. Starboard tack occurs when the wind comes from
starboard and the sail boom hangs over the port side
Port tack is just the opposite, with hanging over the starboard side.
There are varying degrees of tack angle and it is important to learn
when each will be useful and how to get your sailboat into position,
especially when racing. For instance, when trying to reach a
specific position upwind, sailing close hauled may be the most
direct.
