Beam+Broad Reach - Telltails

[Ducati]

Beam+Broad Reach - Telltails On The Genoa

On a beam / broad reach and was having difficulty getting the telltails on my genoa to fly properly.
The pressure was light and they got hung up so I just sailed by feel however I am sure I could have done better.

Any suggestions?

 

[Stu Jackson]

On which sail, or both?

 

[cephius (Dave)]

If you hold a steady course it should be easy to set your sails to the wind angle without relying on the telltails.

Just ease each sail out until it starts to luff, then ease it back in until there is no luffing.

Old school.

 

[Ducati]

Telltails on the genoa

On which sail, or both?

My apologies, the genoa.

 

[tommays]

On a reach we usually have to use a snatch block on the toe rail with a second sheet to get a sheeting angle that allows the sail to be correctly trimed

 

[RichH]

Did you move the jib fairlead cars forward when you were on beam/broad reach?

Without moving the cars forward when on a beam/broad reach, etc. the headsail will have its clew 'lifted', the upper panels of the sail grossly over-twisted, the foot over-trimmed.

How far forward to move the cars (or pull down on the jibsheet with a snatchblock) when on a reach?
While holding a steady course, slowly loosen the jibsheet while watching for all the luff tales to 'break' simultaneously. If the 'top' tales break first then move the car forward, etc. Once all the luff tales are 'breaking' simultaneously, then check the leech tell-tales for the same - adjust tension on the jibsheet so that all the leech tales are 'streaming straight back'.

;-)

 

[Joe]

Quite frankly, I pay very little attention to headsail telltales on beam or broad reaches... They just don't work as well as they do on upwind points of sail... remember... do not figure your point of sail (broad reach, close reach, etc.) on your "apparent" wind. Points of sail are based on "true" wind direction and its relationship to boat direction. So... even if the wind vane shows the wind coming from 90 degrees on the beam... it's only apparent wind direction and your point of sail, depending on your boatspeed, is somewhere abaft of that angle...

So... take cephius (Dave)'s advice and simply disregard the telltales on off the wind points of sail.... and just let the sail out till it starts to luff..

 

[Rick Sylvester]

True vs. Apparent

Hey Joe. While what you call a point of sail is tied to the true wind direction, trimming is strictly a function of apparent direction. With this in mind, you're always adjusting the sail to apparent wind.

If you're working with apparent wind flowing across the sail surfaces (induced lift) the tell-tales are a very important tool and shouldn't be disregarded, even on a beam or broad reach. Rich H is spot on when he describes adjusting twist to achieve the best lift from each section of the sail by using the tell-tales as the most obvious indicator.

If the apparent wind is striking the sail surface (which would be direct lift on say, a dead downwind run) then yes, the tell-tales will be useless.

 

[Joe]

Hey Joe. While what you call a point of sail is tied to the true wind direction, trimming is strictly a function of apparent direction. With this in mind, you're always adjusting the sail to apparent wind.

If you're working with apparent wind flowing across the sail surfaces (induced lift) the tell-tales are a very important tool and shouldn't be disregarded, even on a beam or broad reach. Rich H is spot on when he describes adjusting twist to achieve the best lift from each section of the sail by using the tell-tales as the most obvious indicator.

If the apparent wind is striking the sail surface (which would be direct lift on say, a dead downwind run) then yes, the tell-tales will be useless.

What "I" call a point of sail is pretty much the most basic lesson in sailing.. read any introductory book... Ducati describes his problem in terms of points of sail, not apparent wind... therefore.. it is necessary to explain the difference. We all know that trimming the sails is a reaction to apparent wind... But you cannot just look at the wind vane to determine what "point of sail" you're on because, as you know the vane is an apparent wind indicator.

Sails are trimmed to apparent wind, no argument there... in truth I always keep an eye on the telltales... but I give them less importance off the wind... paying more attention to boatspeed and sail behavior... Anyway, your comment is appreciated.

 

[Sandy Stone]

In my experience, if there is enough breeze to make the tellales stir, it is well worth trying to make at least the leeward ones stream back. This often requires easing the jib out a surprising amount. It is not always possible to get the windward telltales to stream on a broad reach.