sailing in light wind

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newsailor72

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Jul 20, 2011
125
1974 Macgregor 22 SoCal - dry storage
need some advice on how to sail (mac 22) in light wind. I read that I should keep both sails flat (pull outhaul and haylard tight until wrinkles disappear.) Is this correct?

Also, when I went out in light wind yesterday, I was on about a close-haul/close-reach course, so I kept the main and jib sheeted in pretty tight. But I saw a few other boats on the same course and their jibs were all let out while the main kept at centerline (see pic below), so I followed suite and my boat seemed to be moving a little faster, why is that? BTW, my boat doesn't have a traveller (will install one soon), just the original boom-end sheeting.

thanks.
 

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Eric M

Eric M

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Sep 30, 2008
159
Island Packet 35 Jacksonville
Ahh light air sailing, gotta love it. Someone once explained to me to think of your boat as a big metal ball, a really big ball. It takes a lot of force to get it rolling, but once it is rolling, not so much force to keep it rolling along. You have certainly heard the expression down in the lulls up in the puffs? Never more true than in light air sling. In light air sailing the key is to keep the boat moving because it takes a lot less effort than it does to start from a dead stop. The boat in your photo is much larger than yours, and much harder to get going. Hence the eased jib for lots of power. The main in your photo looks over trimmed relative to the jib, but hard to say what they were trying to achieve at the moment. In light air, if attempting to sail upwind, your course and sail trim will change with every puff and every lull. As soon as you feel your boat start to slow you need to fall off a few degrees and ease the sails just a bit. When in doubt, let it out.
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
The boat in that picture is close hauled. The boom is on the centerline, and the luff of the genoa is parallel with the boom.

The trick to light air sailing is to get the boat moving, which generates apparent wind. Flatten the sail shape if you can. If your headsail is very large, think about taking it down until you get moving. Close reach is a good place to start; putting the wind too much on the beam does not allow you to take advantage of the apparent wind speed you generate when you start moving.
 
Daydreamer

Daydreamer

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Oct 19, 2009
97
oday 22 Lake New Melones
From what I've read and tried for light air, a bit of sail shape helps. Flattening de-powers the sail.

I set halyards properly tight and the outhaul. Then ease the sheets a bit for some shape and good airflow.

General rule of thumb is to ease the sheet until the sail just starts to luff then trim. Over trimming will cause airflow to stall.
 
B

bffatcat

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Jun 8, 2004
853
Pearson 26W Marblehead
light air sailing

Ive always done better by keeping my halyards a bit on the loose side About sheeting: A little flutter seems to work better than too flat
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
If a sail has too much chord length (size), or too much draft, in very light air the airflow over the back of the sail will detach and stall. That's why you flatten them, to reduce draft. It cannot however help chord length, so it's why good sailors will take down big genoas and put up a skinny windseeker sails when the breeze is way off.
 
TomY

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,768
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Shift yourself and any crew weight to heel the boat to leeward. This will help keep the sails shaped and in the right attitude to coax wind to attach.

Like a few have said, loosen halyards, out hauls and sheets to get the most shape or draft(increases power) into the sails.

Light air is my favorite sailing.
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,162
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Have plenty of properly located telltales on both sails....... know how to use them.... and trust what they tell you.
 
Anonymous 121765

Anonymous 121765

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Jan 6, 2010
1,520
New,

Lot's of good advice here for you to try pal.

Remember sailing is flying sideways, the same laws of physics apply.

Now, herein lies the differences:
1. type & condition of your sails. Not all sails are created equal. Sail size makes a difference, so in light wind, my 155 produces a great pocket in light winds. I also find that by adjusting my traveler, I can create more of a pressure zone between main & headsail in certain light wind conditions. All of these have an effect on the shape of your sail & performance.

2. the design of the boat. Some sail closer & maintain speed, others not so close. My boat gets the best performance 65° off wind for comfort & speed in medium winds. Does not like conditions off her hind quarter.

3. Heavier weather flatter sails, lighter wind pocket.

4. Sail sheet (control lines) fairleads, blocks & their locations, both horizontal & ALSO vertical angle from foot to deck. I am constantly resetting the locations depending on wind & my angle of sail.

5. In lighter winds loosen the down haul and soften boom vang if you have one. Also some adjustment in your outhaul. Flatter in heavier wind, softening for a pocket if having a foot shelf.

6. testing different angles of sail while playing with different adjustments. Do this in an organized fashion, preferably in constant conditions under sail. An autopilot makes this go much easier.

These are just my opinions, heck each time out your experiencing & learning something new or improved. And, I always say that life is too short to sail in slow conditions. You may find that your boat will perform nicely in light conditions with the proper sail set adjustments.

CR
 
Windborne

Windborne

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Aug 2, 2011
90
Newport 30 MKIII Madeira Beach, FL
Hello New,

Sail trim is a fascinating topic because there is almost no limit to the combination of conditions you can encounter which include not just the speed and direction of the wind but also sea state, current, angle of the waves plus the weight distribution of crew and gear not to mention the basic design and shape of your hull/keel configuration.

There are basics you can learn and apply right away and finer subtleties you learn over time. What makes sailing fun is the tweaking and adjusting you can do and seeing first hand how it affects your vessel's trim and performance.

There is no shortage of books and articles in magazines and online filled with all kinds of advice. The more you learn the more you'll want to learn. Years from now you'll still be honing your skills and learning more.

Here is a basic article I found. I like diagrams. http://www.porttownsendrigging.com/siteFiles/_img/resources/diagrams/Hasse-sail-trim-diagrams.pdf

Good luck and enjoy.

Len
 
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