Footing Off

[Don Guillette]

I get most of the questions that come up on the forum from listers I talk to or from personal emails. Over the many years on the forum I've discussed just about everything I know about sail trim and I'm almost tapped out of subjects so questions from beginners, which is what the sail trim forum is about, turns out to be a great source - if one person has a question other might also.

Unfortunately, sailing has a lot of terms that I have no idea where they came from and really don't have a connection with anything sailing. This is confusing to beginners - at least it was for me - and we just casually throw the terms around because that's the way it goes with funny names in anything. For example, a Cunnigham is named after Briggs Cunningham who invented it and a Barberhauler is named after the Barber brothers, who raced against Dennis Conner in San Diego. Who thought up the name traveler or fairlead?

Who came up with the term pointing - I can understand pinching? A lister from Fort Myers asked me today to define FOOTING so if he has that questions other beginners out there in sail trim land might also. Footing is the opposite of pointing (sorry about that but that's what it's called). Footing is when you're going from sailling closehauled (where did that come from?) to a close reach. When would you want to "foot off"? Boats really don't like to sail in less than 5 or 6 knots of wind. It is hard to point in light air but not if they use the art of FOOTING.

Say you're struggling along in light air and going nowhere. Fall off to a close reach and build up speed. Once you've built up speed come back to closehauled. When you speed starts to drop off repeat the procedure and keep doing it until you get to your destination.

Next time you're out on the water in light wind conditions give it a try and see if it works for you.

 

[Chris Burti]

"closehauled (where did that come from?) "

The sheets are hauled in when sailing 'close' to the eye of the iwnd...

 

[sandpiper10471]

Fairlead refers to a fair lead - i.e. no sharp bends.
Closehauled - haul the yardarms around, close as possible to the centreline for going somewhat upwind. The yards are hauled close.
Footing is not close reaching. Footing off refers to heading off somewhat for better boatspeed but not necessarily as far off as a close reach. Interestingly, a boat sailing closehauled but footing well (going faster) will likely end up upwind and ahead of a vessel heading higher but sailing more slowly. In other words, the faster boat is effectively pointing higher even though (s)he isn't necessarily heading higher. That is because as you double the speed of water flowing over the foils, you cube the lift. Yes, rudders, keels and boards generate lift. The faster boat achieves more lift and reduces leeway, especially in waves.
Footing off refers to heading slightly downwind in order to gain boatspeed. Interestingly, in light winds on a reach, one often heads up a bit in order to gain footing.

 

[charles baird]

according to my 1833 bowditch.. close hauled :
" that trim of the ships sails when she endeavours to make a progress in the nearest direction possible towards that point of the compass from which the wind blows".
could not find footing or pointing.

 

[Roger Long]

Here's a story about my experience with the principle:

http://www.pointseast.com/template.shtml?id=EEuApppyplMkENKsEG&style=story

 

[All U Get]

Roger I love that story, everytime I read it. Sometimes listening to the boat just feels right.
All U Get

 

[sandpiper10471]

Thanks, Roger. Another example of footing off to produce better pointing. A lifting experience, might I say.

 

[Joe]

Footing is not close reaching. Footing off refers to heading off somewhat for better boatspeed but not necessarily as far off as a close reach....... etc.....

I didn't see Don mention anywhere that footing off is close reaching. He explained what it is and gave an example.... his question was where the term came from.

I will also suggest that one not define a term or word with the same term or word. For instance, a "fairlead" should not be defined as a fair lead...

Here's my version: A fairlead is a piece or hardware that guides a line towards another piece of hardware such that it will not jam or foul during operation. Its name is derived from its function, where being "fair" means without hindrance, and "lead" implies further connection.

 

[Don Guillette]

I have to explain my goal on the sail trim forum and really in life and I'll tell you why in a second. I greatly LOVE beginners and I've never forgotten where I came from and what I had to go through to learn how to sail a silly sailboat or learn to play golf or tennis. I know what questions are going through beginners heads. Their questions are phrased differently but they boil down to the same thing. I talk to more beginners worldwide in a month than most sailors talk to in a life time and I've developed an answer approach that works for them and me. Somehow they get what I'm trying to explain to them, at least they tell me they do.

Unfortunately, my approach - as Joe from San Diego and RichH know because they became involved in the discussion - got me into a massive s#*t storm yesterday inside of less than 2 hours - I still can't figure out how I mamaged to do that!! When mates ask me about any sail trim control for the main or jib I first always first bring the conversation back to what the control is actually adjusting - the 4 element of sail trim - and then I build from there. Yesterday, on a site I never go to because I think it is the maintainence channel, I got into the thread regarding the lack of a traveler at about 8AM Tucson time and it already had a full head of steam. I felt sorry (maybe I underestimated them) for the beginners trying to get useful info as I know lurkers and beginners do because that is what they tell me. So I gave my 2 cents, which then resulted in a slug fest, which I'm sure beginners trying to learn to sail their boat found helpful - NOT.

As I said, I love beginners but I have one problem with them - I can only take them so far and that is to the middle intermediate level and then some one with more experince and skill than I have has to take over. That was they way it was when I taught tennis in my early years. In my community of over 4500 homes north of Tucson, I teach intro Pickleball lessons. Probabaly a lot of you are not familiar with the game but if you lived in a active adult retirement community like the Villages in FL you would be. The game is played all over the world and one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Like sailing, I teach them only the basics in intro and give them a solid foundation to build on. After 3 hours of instruction they move on to lessons from more experienced players.

As a result of yesterdays s%*t storm I felt I should explain my approach on the forum. Regarding this thread, I didn't mean to imply footing is sailing on a close reach. I could have said "fall off" but what does that mean to a beginner who doesn't know what footing means. Thanks Joe from San deigo for helping me out.

PS: I ain't ever going to that "ask all sailors" site ever again or any other site either. I'm gonna stay right here on the forum where I'm the happiest.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Don, it's actually the same forum, just a different section, same people, same sometimes limited approaches to things. The issue was travelers. I avoided most of the rest of that discussion because trying to teach trigonometry on an internet sailing forum would have exhausted my already tired fingers. If folks think that there's no difference between a vang and a mainsheet as compared to a vang, mainsheet and traveler, they just don't understand basic physical relationships. And to top it off, they differentiate between cruising and racing. There's only one way to sail a boat and that's "the right way." Wanna be lazy? Sure, go ahead, flop or flap your sails for all they're worth (to your pocketbook). There is simply no way without a traveler that one would be able to center a boom going upwind. Period.

Given that, you've provided a lot of us with helpful insights into how to sail our boats much better than we've known before.

Stay with it, regardless of the individual section of this entire message board.

I'm sure glad you're here.

 

[Fred Villiard]

Don, just ignore them, alot of times it is a case of an alligator mouth over loading a hummingbird a$$

 

[RichH]

Foot Off AND Power Pinching

The simplicity of footing off is using the sails and the momentum of the boat to accelerate to a higher speed using the extra POWER that is generated from the maneuver. (For those with math and science backgrounds this is changing potential energy into kinetic energy.) The essence of footing-off is that you are 'artificially increasing' the apparent wind across the sails !!!!!

Footing off can be done by several options - by trim changes (Don's example of dropping down towards a close reach) or by simply bearing off slightly with the rudder and loading up the windward side of the sails with the sail trim held constant.

Footing off increases the apparent wind speed. When beating footing off results in faster boat speed due to the increased apparent wind but the angle to the 'destination'/mark also widens .... so you wind up going faster but need to sail more distance; hence a 'wash'.
However, the 'ultimate masters' of sailboat racing use footing off to good effect .... they continually foot off to accelerate to higher speeds at more open sailing angles and then use the increased boat speed, increased apparent wind speed and the built-up momentum to then 'point up' even higher, ... until the boat speed begins to drop, and begin all over again in a cycle between footing off and pinching up .... ...... and you usually see the 'masters' never sailing in a straight line 'beat'.
What happens with the faster speed is the keel gives better lift, their boats seemingly 'climb up to weather' (in comparison to those who sail 'straight') during the end of the 'pinch up' phase until the boat speed begins to fall off then they go back to a 'foot off' to regain speed and momentum AND increased apparent wind across the sails !!!! This puts the boat on a gentle but constant "S" course - alternating between footing off and power-pinching up. These are the folks who ARE ALWAYS first at the the 'mark' and the ones who ultimately win races and/or arrive at far distant destinations way before anyone else.

In flat water and constant winds this footing off/power pinching "S" course is called 'turbo sailing' and results in average higher sailing angle 'result', and is much faster than sailing in a straight line when beating ... its nothing more than footing off with the sails held constant (allowing the leeward luff tell tales to begin to 'rise' or begin to separate stall), accelerate to higher boat speed (which causes the apparent wind to go further aft !!!!!!) and then using the gained speed and momentum to 'pinch up'.

For simplicity sake for 'turbo sailing' simply alternates between #2 & #4 in the above 'pic'.
Turbo Sailing is illustrated in the below 'pic'. Your choice if you re-trim the sails .... or simply steer with very slight rudder movement while watching the TELL TALES alternate between #2 & #4 ..... 'best' seen on the row of 'gentry or steering' tell tales.

Note - power pinching: when the boat is at max. accelerated speed after footing off, power pinching can be 'enhanced' by slightly over-trimming the mainsheet which causes the leech shape to slightly 'hook-up' to weather shape during the initial phase of the 'power-pinch'. Doing so is like putting the 'flaps down' during the landing of a large aircraft .... you get tremendous 'lift' at lower speeds by the increased angle of attack and increased draft.

 

[RichH]

There is simply no way without a traveler that one would be able to center a boom going upwind. Period.

Consider .... If the boom was rigidly connected to the mast by only a 'super strong hinge' that allowed the boom to only swing in a precise constant angle with the horizon (totally constrained from rising in the vertical), there would be NO need for a vang nor traveller. Modern structurally sound and well built Rigid Vangs (set to structurally adequate booms) do this job ..... and when used in this manner is called VANG SHEETING (no need for traveller at all) and the mainsheet is only used to 'center, etc' the boom with respect to the boats centerline or to control the booms 'swing angle'. I see this as an 'evolution' and simplification in sail trim and elimination of redundant hardware.

Ive been 'vang sheeting' for years on my sport boats with 'compound' (5:1:3) super strong vang systems .... much easier and much 'faster' than using even radial tracked ball bearing car travelers. The 'maxi' boats do this all the time!

I cannot think of even one situation where when sailing upwind that the 'boom' is centered ... to do so will cause the leech to be hooked to weather and the overall angle of attack will be ZERO. I hope you are innocently mis-stating and you really mean is that the leech is PARALLEL to the boats centerline.

 

[Don Guillette]

Re: Foot Off AND Power Pinching

RichH: Great message. I just Emailed the beginner lister in Fort Myers who started this thread and told him to print it off and try it.

 

[RichH]

Thanks Don.... glad to support your efforts and this Sail Trim site.

 

[Todd Smith]

...
I cannot think of even one situation where when sailing upwind that the 'boom' is centered ... to do so will cause the leech to be hooked to weather and the overall angle of attack will be ZERO. I hope you are innocently mis-stating and you really mean is that the leech is PARALLEL to the boats centerline.

We sometimes have the boom a little above centerline in light air, with a very light sheet tension, giving a soft leech and plenty of twist. This seems fast when we do it racing.

Of course, sometimes when a faster and better pointing boat is trying to pass to leward, an over-trimmed main gasses them so bad they leave you alone.

 

[Todd Smith]

Don,

From the experience that you sometimes relate on this board, I think you have a complete knowledge of sail trim. "common seaman" statements or otherwise. You might not desire to instruct past that intermediate level, but your skill seems well past intermediate. Now I only saw 2 posts total that had any "s%*t" in them and both seemed pretty tame, but maybe the internet has case hardened me a bit. Come out and play with us and add your knowledge past the beginner level, I like to learn as much as possible.

 

[Todd Smith]

And to top it off, they differentiate between cruising and racing. There's only one way to sail a boat and that's "the right way." Wanna be lazy? Sure, go ahead, flop or flap your sails for all they're worth (to your pocketbook).

Stu, are you sure about this ? Only "one way" ? I can trade speed vs comfort without flogging the sails at all.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Todd, what you said is what I meant. Poorly trimmed sails regardless of point of sail is where I was going.

Roger, I stand corrected.

 

[FourPoints]

Don,

From the experience that you sometimes relate on this board, I think you have a complete knowledge of sail trim. "common seaman" statements or otherwise. You might not desire to instruct past that intermediate level, but your skill seems well past intermediate. Now I only saw 2 posts total that had any "s%*t" in them and both seemed pretty tame, but maybe the internet has case hardened me a bit. Come out and play with us and add your knowledge past the beginner level, I like to learn as much as possible.

:+1: