SAIL TRIM
UPWIND OVERVIEW
:
Once
your boat is set up as out-
lined in this guide, there are
three sail adjustments that
will affect your speed more
than any others while sailing
to windward: genoa sheet,
main sheet and backstay. If
you feel that you are lacking
speed, there is a 90% chance
that one of these three ad-
justments is wrong. If you are
slow, ease the sheets a few
inches, bear away a couple
of degrees, gain speed and
then try pointing.
Genoa Trim
: To get the
genoa lead close to the
right position, move it so
that when you trim the foot of the
genoa tight enough to touch the
shroud turnbuckle the sail is one
inch from the spreader tip. This will
get you close. Next you’ll need to
move the lead so that you can trim
the sail according to the chart on
Page 3. With the genoa the cor-
rect distance off the spreader for a
given wind range, you can check
to make sure the lead is in the right
spot by heading closer to the wind
slightly. You want the upper tell-
tales to break a second earlier than
the lower ones. If the telltales break
evenly, move the lead back one
hole. If the upper telltales breaks
first by more than one second,
move the lead forward one hole.
Genoa Tracks
:
To fine tune the
genoa lead position, it is important
to have extra holes in the genoa car
track. Drill holes between the exist-
ing factory holes.
Genoa Halyard Tension
: In light air,
the halyard should be tensioned for
no wrinkles along the luff (noth-
ing more than that). As the wind
increases, allow wrinkles in the luff.
This will move the draft aft, which
will improve pointing ability. With
more wind yet, tension the halyard
until the wrinkles disappear. Do not
over tension the luff of the sail. Use
the genoa cunningham to fine-tune
the luff.
If you cannot point, chances are
one of these items has occurred:
• Over-tensioned the genoa sheet
• Over-tensioned the genoa luff
• A loose mainsail leech
Jib Trim
: Once the wind
picks up over 19 knots, you
will need to change to the
little jib. Set the lead so that
the foot of the sail touches
the foot of the pulpit and the
leech reamins 2” insde the
spreader tip. If the wind goes
over 25 knots, move the lead
back 1” to tighten the foot
and open the leech. With the
foot tight, the
leech should
be even with
the end of the
spreader.
When you first
change to the
jib, loosen the
shrouds one
scale setting.
Mainsail Trim
: Until you start heeling, maintain the boom on centerline.
In light winds pull the traveler to windward so the upper batten is 3-5
degrees open and the boom is over the boat’s centerline. As the wind
increases, start dropping the traveler and increasing sheet tension.
When the wind gets up to 10 knots, the traveler will be in the middle of
the boat. You will need to apply more sheet tension so that the top batten
points 3 degrees to windward of the boom. When you reach more than 13
knots, free the sheet a small amount and drop the traveler a bit.
Don’t let the boat heel too much. If you are
used to playing the sheet, you will probably
need to apply a lot of vang tension. This will
maintain the leech of the sail when you ease
the mainsheet. Don’t use the vang until you
start heeling. In puffy conditions, use the
backstay to depower and power up the boat.
Remember, do not try to point until you are at full speed. Also, if the boat
heels in a puff, don’t point to avoid heeling. Ease the sheet and let the
boat bear away a bit. You will end up in better position than a boat that
points and then slows down. A slow boat upwind will slide sideways and
not go where the boat is pointing.
Heeling
: Upwind, never
heel more than 10 degrees.
If you start heeling more
than this, start reducing
power only after you are
sure that the crew is hiking
as hard as they can.
