Newbie Question of the Week
- Thread starter Kper
- Start date
On the wind (going to weather), traveler position controls angle of main sail to the wind and the main sheet is used to control sail twist. Off the wind, main sheet controls angle of sail to the wind and vang controls twist. If you don't have a vang..... Get one.
Kper: Let's assume you present a question of the week. Do you know how many weeks it would take you to get a handle on sail trim? There are 8 primary sail trim controls for the mainsail. They are the traveler, mainsheet, halyard, outhaul, cunningham, boom vang mast bend and leech cord. There are 6 primary sail trim controls for the jib. They are jib sheets, jib halyard, fairleads, fairleads inboard and outboard, headstay and adjustable fairleads. Then there are mainsail control indicators which are the battens and telltales. Another aspect is crew position. Then there's the various settings for each sail trim control for the main & jib for each point of sail and wind condition.
The major point is WHAT are all the sail trim controls for the main and jib adjusting? It's ONLY 4 things -- draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack. Unless a sailor understands those 4 element, sail trim will never make any sense. Next, you have to know which sail trim controls for the main and jib adjust each of the 4 element. Next you need to know the setting for each sail trim control for each point of sail and wind condition
Whew, I'm tired just thinking and writing about it!! In other words, you'll be old and gray before you complete the project one week at a time.
Do yourself a favor and buy my book & chart. The chart tells you WHAT to do and the book tells you WHY you're making a particular sail trim adjustment. The WHY of sail trim is EVERYTHING, otherwise a sailor is just guessing. Read the book 3 or 4 times and you'll know more about sail trim than 75% of the sailors world wide. Both come with a money back guarantee -- if you don't get anything out of them just return them and I'll refund your money.
Any questions you might have can be answered on the SAIL TRIM FORUM. Good luck mate!!
The major point is WHAT are all the sail trim controls for the main and jib adjusting? It's ONLY 4 things -- draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack. Unless a sailor understands those 4 element, sail trim will never make any sense. Next, you have to know which sail trim controls for the main and jib adjust each of the 4 element. Next you need to know the setting for each sail trim control for each point of sail and wind condition
Whew, I'm tired just thinking and writing about it!! In other words, you'll be old and gray before you complete the project one week at a time.
Do yourself a favor and buy my book & chart. The chart tells you WHAT to do and the book tells you WHY you're making a particular sail trim adjustment. The WHY of sail trim is EVERYTHING, otherwise a sailor is just guessing. Read the book 3 or 4 times and you'll know more about sail trim than 75% of the sailors world wide. Both come with a money back guarantee -- if you don't get anything out of them just return them and I'll refund your money.
Any questions you might have can be answered on the SAIL TRIM FORUM. Good luck mate!!
Wow. I read the initial post and the reply suggesting the book and chart. Still doing a lot of guessing after my first year so I ordered them both. Imagine my surprise to so the authors' post, nice!! Looking forward even more to receive the materials.
Halfway through Don's book now. Very, very informative. Bought the charts, too.
Great discussion about tell-tales. When I learned to sail at USNA, the instructors PREACHED keeping an eye on them and trimming accordingly.
Great discussion about tell-tales. When I learned to sail at USNA, the instructors PREACHED keeping an eye on them and trimming accordingly.
Traveller
I agree that Don's book will give you the most comprehensive answer to this and any question regarding sail trim. But in the spirit of sharing on the forum I'll pass on a bit of what I've learned after a couple of years sailing.
In order to trim the main, you need to adjust its angle to the wind. You can use the mainsheet to do this but in doing so you will also add or release downward tension on the boom. That tension has an impact on the amount of camber in the sail. In light winds you want lots of camber - in strong wind you want to tension the boom and flatten the sail. So, one way to adjust the angle of the main without impacting the tension on the boom is to use the traveler.
One thing I learned is not to be scared to bring the traveler right across center and over to the windward side. If you're heading up into a light wind, if you let the mainsheet and vang out a bit to give the sail some slack and then bring the traveller over to windward. This creates lots of camber and a bit of twist which speeds you up. If you get a gust you can let the traveller out to leeward as much as you need to. If the wind really picks up you can tension the mainsheet and vang to flatten the sail and then leave the traveller as far to leeward as you need to for comfortable sailing.
That's how it's worked for me so far. I welcome any thoughts on this.
I agree that Don's book will give you the most comprehensive answer to this and any question regarding sail trim. But in the spirit of sharing on the forum I'll pass on a bit of what I've learned after a couple of years sailing.
In order to trim the main, you need to adjust its angle to the wind. You can use the mainsheet to do this but in doing so you will also add or release downward tension on the boom. That tension has an impact on the amount of camber in the sail. In light winds you want lots of camber - in strong wind you want to tension the boom and flatten the sail. So, one way to adjust the angle of the main without impacting the tension on the boom is to use the traveler.
One thing I learned is not to be scared to bring the traveler right across center and over to the windward side. If you're heading up into a light wind, if you let the mainsheet and vang out a bit to give the sail some slack and then bring the traveller over to windward. This creates lots of camber and a bit of twist which speeds you up. If you get a gust you can let the traveller out to leeward as much as you need to. If the wind really picks up you can tension the mainsheet and vang to flatten the sail and then leave the traveller as far to leeward as you need to for comfortable sailing.
That's how it's worked for me so far. I welcome any thoughts on this.
