Sail Trim

Spring Tune Up

This is an on-the-water clinic designed for Basic Cruising graduates and beyond. It is intended to be an introduction to advanced Sail Trim.

Our standard US Sailing classes focus on safely operating a sailboat, and being able to perform any number of maneuvers including reefing, heaving to, and COB’s. The Sail Trim Clinic will focus on acquiring the tools to enable one to access and implement skills necessary to achieve maximum efficiency out of their SAILS and VESSEL.

Subjects covered include:

The trim and set of all sails:

  • Main –Traveler, Backstay, Boomvang, Cunningham, Outhaul, Halyard, Mainsheet
  • Jib – Halyard, Fairlead inboard & outboard & fore and aft

Upwind techniques:

  • Feathering/pinching
  • Sail controls in gusts and lulls

Downwind techniques:

  • Broad reach vs run
  • Boat speed through waves
  • Sail shape controls

Strategies to make decisions regarding VMG:

  • Understanding effects of current/wind/boat speed in developing proper, most efficient course to destination.

Techniques to maximize speed with understanding of the boats balance:

  • Move center of effort forward to decrease weather helm • Increase weather helm by moving center of lateral resistance forward • Moving weight forward and aft & thwartships • Adjusting rig fore and aft.

The student will be exposed to another world of sail propulsion, by seasoned instructors keen on always improving boat speed.