Higher and Faster

Perfect Pointing

When your boat sails upwind with the crew fully hiked on the weather rail and the helmsman, trimmers, and the tactician working in perfect relaxed unison, there is no denying that it is a great feeling. Sometimes it actually is as easy as it looks, but getting to this state of chilled performance will normally be the result of considerable effort in preparation and a basic understanding of the requirements of the boat that you are sailing. The first step in the search for that perfect upwind leg is boat preparation. For most boats this means having the rig tuned for the given wind and wave conditions—too much rig tension and you'll lack power in moderate air; too little rig tension and you'll have trouble pointing upwind. When you start sailing in a one-design class, consult your sailmaker's tuning guide for the basic rig set-up. Once your up to speed develop your own settings…..However ignoring tried and tested settings in a popular class can be very expensive! Before you even leave the dock, measure along the jib/genoa tracks on each side of the boat and make evenly spaced, numbered marks on the deck where they are easily visible to the headsail trimmer. You may well be able to use the tracks pre-drilled holes. People have different views but I prefer to number from the front of the track to the back. This way as the breeze increases and the car is eased aft the numbers are also increasing. Once your headsail has been hoisted a mark can be made on the halyard to ensure repeated settings. It is useful to have a scale marked on the deck over the range of halyard tension that you will be using.
Understanding the set up controls
Luff tension….. The major characteristics of genoa, or jib shape, are the amount and location of draft, and the angle of entry. The shape of the jib is controlled by the fore and aft location of the jib leads, luff tension, sheet tension and headstay tension.
Tension on the leading edge of the sail is controlled by jib halyard and by jib Cunningham. The principal effect of luff tension is to position draft in the sail. Increased luff tension moves draft forward. Reduced luff tension allows the draft to move aft. In general new sails need much less halyard than old sails as the draft is still at the sail designers desired position. In headsails the draft position is normally between 34% to 44%. As a rule of thumb, the luff of the headsail wants to be tight enough so that it just takes the wrinkles out of the sail along the luff tape. Naturally, you'll want this to be tighter in breezier conditions and looser in lighter conditions. The headsail trimmers and the pit crew (or whoever secures the halyards) should note—mentally and in writing—the proper settings for each sail and for the conditions throughout the range of that sail.
Jib Car / Lead position……. Most boats are now able either through purchase systems, hydraulics or jut plain simple pin stop cars to move jib sheet leads fore and aft. The position of the lead controls the tension on the leech and the foot, as well as the draft location in the upper third of the sail and has an effect on the draft in the lower third. In simple break down terms if we move the jib cars aft we move the draft in the top of the sail forward and allow the leech to fly with more twist, consequently the foot flies with less depth. Move the jib lead forward and this moves the draft in the top of the sail aft and moves the draft in the bottom of the sail forward. The leech flies tighter with less twist and the foot is more rounded and deeper. The correct jib lead position distributes draft evenly in the sail and the tension on the leech and foot are relatively equal. Ascertaining the correct jib car position is greatly aided by our use of the tell tales. All we need to do is locate which portion of the sail begins to luff first. I always use tell tales on the quarter, half and three quarter heights of the sail, this gives a balanced view of the sails luff. If the sail breaks or lifts in the upper portion means that the lead should be moved forward. If the sail breaks in the lower portion the jib car needs be moved aft. If you're sailing with non-overlapping headsails determine your lead position by lining up marks on the spreaders with the leech of the jib. The telltale at the top batten should be used to ensure that the head of the sail is not stalled. When setting up a jib, it is important to be sure that you are looking at the entire leech of the sail, all the way up to the head. Minor adjustments of sheet tension and lead position are especially powerful on high aspect jibs. The slightest change in car position can mean big changes at the head of the sail. It is also important to be sure that the halyard tension is correct for the existing conditions before determining the lead position. If the halyard is too soft, the leech will fly too round, causing you to drop the lead too far aft. The same is true if the halyard is too tight. You will end up with the lead too far forward in an attempt to round the back of the sail up in your search for power. Jib Sheet Along with controlling the angle of attack to the wind the jib sheet controls the amount of draft and twist in the jib. A tight jib sheet will remove draft from the sail; easing the sheet will add draft and twist to the sail. It is always worth remembering that the sheet is still the most powerful control and has the biggest effect on the sail.
	Forestay…… The straightness of the headstay is controlled by tension on the backstay, use of running backstays, chocking or use of a ram at deck level or on some boats an adjustable headstay. The looser the headstay, the more the middle of the wire sags to leeward and astern. Increased tension reduces the depth of the headsail moves the draft forward and flattens the entry angle. Decreased tension increases the depth allows the draft to move aft and creates a rounder entry.
Inhaulers…… Affectionately known as inf+~ers these controls are found on most modern jib rigged boats. To a certain extent they have replaced barber haulers. They allow the clew of the sail to be pulled closer to the boats centreline reducing the headsails sheeting angle and thus narrowing the sails angle of attack. Another basic rule of thumb is to be very wary of ever hauling the jib clew inboard of 7 degrees. Pressure difference……..* When we sail conditions change, be that on a leg by leg basis or day to day. These changes mean that we need to select the correct jib the conditions and then trim it to perform at its most efficient. Sailing in the light requires more depth in the sail. A fuller sail creates more power. As the wind increases, you flatten the sail. It is no different than an aircraft on take off. To create lift at slow speeds, a pilot lowers the flaps and rounds the aerofoil with more depth in the wing. Once up to speed, the flaps are raised and the wing is set in a flatter lower drag configuration. In-creased pressure means that flatter sails can be used. Another adjustment you have to make as the wind increases is increased amounts of halyard tension. As the wind blows harder, the draft of the sail drifts aft. By increasing halyard tension, you pull the draft toward the middle or forward third of the sail enabling the draft to fly in our desired 34% to 44% position. Sea State……… Choppy water or confused sea conditions make a slightly fuller sail with a rounder entry angle desirable. In flat water you trade power for pointing by flattening the entry angle and sheeting the headsail with less twist. Modern, easily driven boats can trade speed for pointing especially if they have a tendency to be overpowered in heavy air. This means setting the boat up with flatter sails and a reduced entry angle. A flat entry angle allows you to point higher, but the sail will have a narrow groove for the helmsman to steer to and will be prone to stalling out.
Everything listed above is headsail related. However to trim sails in isolation is never fast. To get the most from your boat it is imperative that the mainsail and headsail are trimmed together to ensure empathy between the two sails. If you check out the leech profile on a quick boat in any class the main and jib will be working together and will be trimmed in harmony. Always check both sails, check in with the helmsman what he is feeling and do not be afraid to ask questions ashore of the crews who are fast!
Simon Fry