Sheets and Travelers

[Gary Wyngarden]

You're sailing close hauled and round a mark. Your new course is a broad reach. Clearly the main needs to be let out. Do you use the traveler, the mainsheet, or both, and why?

 

[Jim Russell]

Both

The sheet is eased to set the sail to the wind.The traveler on the headsail is eased so that the leech may be drawn down while the sail itself is allowed to be set for the wind. Otherwise easing the sheet would allow the top of headsail to twist too much dumping valuable air.On the main, the twist can be controlled by the vang so moving the traveler isn't as critical, unless there is not vang, then the same principle would hold.

 

[Robert Fischer]

main only

I normally would only ease the traveler on a broad reach if it was really blowing. In light or medium air I would ease only the main.

 

[Richard Gresham]

main only

If it's really blowing, going into the weather mark, the traveler is most likely already down so the sheet is probably your quickest and most effective adjustment in all wind conditions. On a broad reach the traveler doesn't have enough travel to effect twist. This is where a vang is essential. Good luck!