Points of sail · Sailing

Points of sail and trim

How the boat sails at every angle to the wind, and what to do with each sheet and line. Drag the boat round the dial. Names in English, with the Portuguese name beside them.

Wind strength, Beaufort

True wind and apparent wind

The true wind is what you feel standing still. Once the boat moves, it makes its own wind from ahead, and the 2 add up to the apparent wind: the one the sails, the windex and your face feel. Sailing upwind, the apparent wind comes from further ahead and feels stronger than the true wind. Sailing downwind, it feels lighter. That is why a breeze that feels gentle on a run can need a reef once you turn upwind. On the dial, the dashed green arrow is the apparent wind; the sails are trimmed to it.

Tack and gybe, step by step

Put the boat on a close-hauled or reaching course and press Tack, or on a broad reach or run and press Gybe. Each step plays for about 6 seconds on the dial.

Tacking

Virada por davanteCheck

Helm: “Ready about.” Crew puts 2 turns of the slack genoa sheet on the new winch and answers “Ready.”
Helm: “Lee-oh,” and turns the bow steadily through the wind.
As the genoa starts to flap, crew lets the old sheet off its winch.
Crew pulls the new sheet in fast while the sail is light, then winches in the last part. The main looks after itself.
Settle on the new close-hauled course, about 90° from the old one.

Gybing

CambarCheck

Helm: “Ready to gybe.” Crew gets the new genoa sheet ready and takes off any preventer.
Pull the mainsheet in until the boom is near the middle.
Helm: “Gybe-oh,” and turns the stern slowly through the wind. The boom swings across, under control.
Ease the mainsheet out on the new side and bring the genoa across.
Settle on the new broad reach and put the preventer back on. In strong wind, if in doubt, tack round instead.

The controls

Every line that changes the shape or angle of the sails on this boat. Names match the yacht anatomy page.

Genoa sheets

escotas da genoa

What it does

The genoa sheet sets the angle of the genoa to the wind: in for sailing upwind, out for sailing downwind.

When it is wrong

Inside telltales lifting: the sail is luffing, so sheet in or bear away. Outside telltales lifting: the sail has stalled, so ease the sheet or head up.

For example

On a beam reach, ease the sheet until the front of the genoa just starts to curl, then pull it back in about 10 cm.

TrimmedBoth stream back

Too eased, or too highInside lifts: sheet in or bear away

Too tight, or too lowOutside lifts: ease or head up

Genoa car and track

carrinho e calha da genoaCheck

What it does

The car moves the genoa sheet's lead forward or aft along a track. That changes how much the top of the sail twists open.

When it is wrong

Top telltales lift before the bottom ones: the car is too far aft. Bottom ones lift first: it is too far forward.

For example

After rolling part of the genoa away, move the car forward, or the shorter sail's back edge flaps.

Mainsheet

escota da vela grande

What it does

Pulls the boom down and in. Upwind it mainly controls the twist in the main; off the wind it sets the boom angle.

When it is wrong

Too tight: the boat heels hard and the wheel pulls to windward. Too loose: the top of the main twists off and flaps.

For example

In a gust upwind, ease the mainsheet 20 to 30 cm to stay upright, then bring it back in.

Traveller

carrinho da escota da grande

What it does

Moves the boom across the boat without changing how hard the sail is pulled down.

When it is wrong

A lot of weather helm upwind, where the wheel keeps pulling the boat into the wind: drop the traveller to leeward.

For example

In light air, pull the traveller to windward to bring the boom to the middle without over-tightening the sail.

Outhaul

cabo da esteiraCheck

What it does

Tensions the foot of the main. Tight flattens the lower part of the sail; eased gives it more depth and power. With in-mast furling it also pulls the sail out of the mast.

When it is wrong

A deep, baggy lower main upwind in a breeze: the outhaul is too loose.

For example

Tighten it upwind in 15 kn or more; ease it on a broad reach in light air.

Rigid vang

burro rígido

What it does

Holds the boom down when it is eased out, so the top of the main does not twist away. A rigid vang also holds the boom up when the sail is lowered.

When it is wrong

Off the wind, the boom lifting and the top of the main sagging forward: the vang is too loose.

For example

Set it firmly before bearing away onto a broad reach.

Backstay

contra-estai

What it does

Tensions the forestay and bends the mast, which flattens both sails. Many cruisers have a fixed backstay with no adjuster.

When it is wrong

Forestay sagging and the genoa too full upwind in a breeze: more backstay, if your boat has an adjuster.

For example

Tighten upwind when the wind builds; ease it off the wind.

Furling lines

cabo do enrolador

What it does

The furling lines roll the genoa round the forestay, and the main into the mast, to make them smaller. This is how this boat reefs.

When it is wrong

Reefed too late: the boat rounds up into the wind in the gusts and the rudder loses grip.

For example

Reef when you first think about it. On this boat, start at about 20 kn of apparent wind upwind.

When to reef

Rules of thumb for a 36 ft cruiser with a furling genoa and in-mast main. Upwind, the apparent wind is stronger, so you reef sooner. The dial does the same: it rolls the sails away as the apparent wind passes about 20, 26 and 32 kn.

Beaufort	True wind	Sea	Upwind, this boat	Downwind, this boat
Force 2	4 to 6 kn	Small wavelets	Full sail. Below about 6 kn, motor-sailing is often quicker.	Full sail.
Force 3	7 to 10 kn	Large wavelets, scattered crests	Full sail.	Full sail.
Force 4	11 to 16 kn	Small waves, frequent white horses	Full sail, flattened: outhaul and backstay on.	Full sail.
Force 5	17 to 21 kn	Moderate waves, many white horses	1st reef: roll about a quarter of each sail away.	Full sail is often fine; reef the main if it rounds up.
Force 6	22 to 27 kn	Large waves, foam crests, some spray	2nd reef: about half of each sail.	Full sail, or 1st reef in the main. Rig a preventer.
Force 7	28 to 33 kn	Sea heaps up, foam blown in streaks	Deep reef, two thirds or more. Better not to set out.	1st or 2nd reef, preventer on.

Cheat sheet

Point of sail	True wind angle	Apparent wind, at force 4	Boat speed	Genoa sheet	Genoa car	Main	Outhaul	Vang
Close-hauled	45°	32° · 18 kn	6.0 kn	Hard in, clew near the spreader end	Standard	In tight, traveller centred	Tight	Light
Close reach	65°	44° · 18 kn	7.0 kn	Eased a little	Back 1 or 2 holes	Eased, traveller down a little	Medium	Snug
Beam reach	90°	61° · 15 kn	7.5 kn	About half out	Further back	Boom at about 45°	Eased	Firm
Broad reach	135°	105° · 10 kn	7.0 kn	Well eased	Far back	Well out, preventer in a sea	Eased	Firm
Running	170°	163° · 8 kn	5.8 kn	Goose-winged on a pole, or furled	n/a	Fully out, off the shrouds, preventer on	Eased	Firm

Boat speeds and apparent wind come from a rough speed table for a generic 36 ft cruiser at force 4 (about 13.5 kn of true wind). Your boat will differ. Point-of-sail names are from the Portuguese, Spanish and Italian Wikipedias' articles on points of sail; control names match the yacht anatomy page. Names marked Check are my best rendering and have not been confirmed against a published source.