| Are you a bit confused about what it takes to get | | | | * Initial trim: |
| just the right sail trim on reaching points of sail? Is | | | | Tighten the boom vang, but allow 1"-2" of slack to |
| there an easier method to learn how to sail a boat | | | | prevent excess loading on the sailboat boom. Trim |
| on reaches to give you powerful speed and drive? | | | | both sails to position them half way to the shrouds. |
| Follow these easy steps to get just the right sail | | | | * Fine trim: |
| shape for reaches every time! | | | | Fine tune the sail shape with the sheets. Start with |
| Use a two-tier trim technique on each type of reach. | | | | the headsail. Ease the headsail sheet until the luff |
| Make an initial trim setting to move each sail close to | | | | starts to flutter. Then trim it just enough to put the |
| the proper position. Finish up with a fine trim setting | | | | luff "to sleep". Use this same method to trim the |
| to shape your sails for maximum performance. | | | | mainsail for correct sail shape. |
| 1. Close Reaching | | | | 3. Broad Reaching |
| * Initial trim: | | | | * Initial trim: |
| Trim the headsail to set the clew just inside the | | | | Set the boom vang with 1"-2" of slack. Ease both |
| outer edge of the boat. Set the end of the mainsail | | | | sails out three-fourths of the way to the shrouds. |
| boom just inside the outer edge of the boat. | | | | * Fine trim: |
| * Fine trim: | | | | Fine tune the sail shape with the sheets. Ease the |
| Start with the headsail. Ease the headsail sheet until | | | | headsail sheet until the luff begins to flutter. Then |
| the luff starts to flutter. Then trim it just enough to | | | | trim it just enough to put the luff "to sleep". Use this |
| stop the flutter. Sailors call this technique "putting the | | | | same method to trim the mainsail. |
| luff to sleep". Next, trim the mainsail. Ease the sailboat | | | | Learn how to sail a boat better with these fast, |
| boom out with the mainsheet until the mainsail luff | | | | easy, and reliable trim techniques. You will be richly |
| just begins to flutter. Then, gently pull in the | | | | rewarded with more sailboat speed, power, and |
| mainsheet until the flutter stops. | | | | performance on any reaching point of sail. |
| 2. Beam Reaching | | | | |