everything you always wanted to know about sail trim · •its blowing 12-15 kts, and you have just...
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![Page 1: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sail Trim · •Its blowing 12-15 kts, and you have just come out of the flat water in the harbour into choppy seas outside Protection Island](https://reader033.vdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022043016/5f38bfd8dfde19309a40fbc2/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Everything You Always Wanted
to Know About Sail Trim
And Don’t Be Afraid to Ask…..
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Huh?
• General principles
• Headsail trimming techniques
• Mainsail trimming techniques
• Common Scenarios
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General Principles of Sail Shape
• Depth
• Draft position
• Entry shape
• Twist
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Depth
• Decreased Depth –
less power, less drag
(good for high speed)
(TIGHTEN Forestay)
• Increased Depth -
more power, more
drag (good for
acceleration) (EASE
Forestay)
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Draft Position
• Draft Forward – sail is
forgiving, easy to steer,
but poor pointing (good
for lumpy conditions)
TIGHTEN HALYARD
• Draft Middle – good
pointing and speed (good
for flat water) EASE
HALYARD
• Ideal position 40-50% aft
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Entry Angle
• Large Entry Angle
means a wide groove,
useful when steering
in waves, in traffic,
when training new
people at the helm
• Narrow Entry Angle
needed for best
pointing
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Twist
• Bottom of sail is trimmed
in more that top of sail
• Works in conditions of
wind shear, when you
need acceleration, lumpy
seas, when its blowing the
dog off the chain.
• Twist reduces pointing
and maximum speed
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When to Use Twist – Example
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The Slot
• Vertical gap between headsail and main
• Size of the gap affects of air flow on inside
of headsail and the back of the main
• Important to keep slot as big as possible to
prevent excessive backwind on main
• Keep the bodies out!
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Goals in Sea/Wind Conditions
• Very Light – Keep Moving!
• Light – Best speed
• Light/Med/Flat Seas – Point high
• Light/Med/Lumpy Seas – Consistent Speed
• Med/Heavy/Flat Seas – Point high
• Med/Heavy/Lumpy Seas– Steerage,
Consistent Speed
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Headsail Trim Variables
• Sheet Tension (affects
twist)
• Genoa Car Position
(affects twist)
• Halyard Tension
(affects draft position)
• Forestay Tension
(affects depth)
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Effect of Forestay Tension
• Forestay tension affects
both depth and entry of
the headsail
• A tight forestay is needed
for pointing, but this will
create a narrower groove
• A looser forestay will
make for a wider groove,
but limit pointing and
speed
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Forestay/Halyard Interaction
• The forestay and
headsail halyard are
often adjusted in
unison
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Mainsail Trim Variables• Sheet Tension (affects twist)
• Traveller Position (affects entry angle)
• Outhaul Tension (affects depth in lower part)
• Vang Down (Up?) (affects twist)
• Cunningham Tension (affects draft position in
lower part)
• Halyard Tension (affects draft position
• Backstay Tension (affects depth)
• Boom Position (affects slot)
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General Rules of Mainsail Trim
• Adjust halyard to just remove horizontal wrinkles
• Adjust sheet tension so top batten is parallel to the
boom
• Adjust traveller to get the telltales flying (top one
most of the time)
• Adjust outhaul for correct depth
• Check draft position, adjust halyard (maybe)
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Mainsail Trim ProgressionWind Seas Traveller Outhaul Vang Cunn Halyard Backsty Sheet
Drifting Flat Full
Windwrd
Medium Support
Boom
(Up)
Eased Min Min Boom
Well
Below
Centre
Light
(2-6 kts)
Flat Full
Windwrd
Tight Support
Boom
Eased Min Medium Centre
Boom
Light
/Med (6
– 9 kts)
Flat Adjust
for Top
Batten/C
entre
Boom
Tight N/A Eased Tight Medium Adjust
for Top
Batten/
Centre
Boom
Light
/Med (6
– 9 kts)
Lumpy Above
Centrelin
e
Ease Hand
Tight
Eased Min Min Boom
on
Centre
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Mainsail Trim ProgressionWind Seas Travelle
r
Outhau
l
Vang Cunn Halyard Backst
y
Sheet
Mediu
m (10-
15 kts)
Flat Centre
or
Below
Tight Hand
Tight
Eased Min Min Boom
Below
Centre
Mediu
m (10-
15 kts)
Lump
y
Centre
or
Below
Mediu
m
Hand
Tight
Tight Tight Tight Boom
Well
Below
Centre
Med/H
eavy
(15 –
20 kts)
Flat Centre
or
Below
Max Hand
Tight
Mediu
m
Mediu
m
Tight Adjust
for
Top
Batten
Med/H
eavy
(15 –
20 kts)
Lump
y
Centre
or
Below
Mediu
m
More
than
Hand
Tight
Mediu
m
Mediu
m
Mediu
m
Ease
for
Twist
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Example – What Do You Notice?
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Before the Start
• Twist headsail by moving leads aft
• Twist main by easing sheet
• Increase depth by easing outhaul on main,
forestay on headsail
• Move draft forward by keeping halyards
tight (remove horizontal wrinkles)
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Shortly after Start
• Increase outhaul to flatten main
• Increase forestay to reduce depth
• Increase headsail tension to reduce twist
• Increase mainsheet tension to reduce twist
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Downwind
• Ease outhaul, halyards, backstay
• When sheets are eased, both the headsail
and main instantly develop TWIST!
• Use a barberhauler or move the genoa car to
reduce twist in the headsail
• Use vang down to reduce twist in the main
so all telltales fly
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Drifting Conditions
• Move headsail sheet leads full aft (create
twist)
• Support boom if possible (vang up?)
• Don’t try to point high, keep sheets eased
until you’re moving
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Choppy Seas
• Ease forestay
• Tighten halyards
• Ease outhaul
• Increase twist
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Its BTDOTC and the Skipper
Picked the Wrong Headsail• Lots of Halyard Tension
• Lots of Forestay Tension (Max Backstay)
• Max outhaul, cunningham
• Twist main and keep slot open by keeping traveller in the centre (or even higher!) and easing sheet a little
• Twist headsail by moving cars aft, easing sheet a little
• Move lead position outboard if possible
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What Else Is There?
• Reaching/Broad Reaching – use a barber-
hauler or the genoa car to move the headsail
lead position forward to reduce twist when
the sheet is eased
• Running – use a whisker pole to hold the
headsail out to windward and sail wing-on-
wing (its legal and lots faster if the wind is
over your hull speed + 5 kts or so.)
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What Else Is There?
• Before the start, around corners, in big
waves – set the boat up for maximum
acceleration (ease outhaul, ease halyards,
twist the main, headsail cars aft)
• After the start – set the boat up for best
pointing and speed depending on conditions
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White Sails FAQ
• I don’t have a backstay adjuster – how do I
increase forestay tension for better
pointing?
• I don’t have a vang, how can I reduce
mainsail twist downwind?
• I don’t have a toerail, how can I barberhaul?
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What do you notice?
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What do you notice?
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Scenario 1
• Its blowing 12-15 kts, and you have just
come out of the flat water in the harbour
into choppy seas outside Protection Island.
Your competition seems to be going a little
faster. What adjustments will you make?
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Scenario 2
• Its just after the start, and a boat is trying to
squeeze up under you from the leeward
side. You need to point as high as possible.
What adjustments will you make?