Trimming the main and jib to 100% efficiency can be a daunting task to a beginner sailor or one's who are at the intermediate level because the wind speed and direction is never constant. Most sailors just "set & forget" the sails any way they can. If you don't believe me just take a look at the sails on sailboats that are sailing in any harbor in the world on any weekend. When I returned to sailing after many years in power boats, sail trim was a major task -- there were just too many sail trim controls on the main and jib to deal with. My solution was to develop a chart for my own use. One day, on a Catalina owners forum, I answered a sail trim question and casually mentioned I had developed a sail trim chart. Over a 2 week period I received 75 requests for the chart. Unfortuately, the chart was not in saleable condition -- it had arrows and stuff all over the place and only I could read it. I organized it and a friend computerized it. Later, I had it produc...
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Sail Trim Made Simple (Part2)
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Sail trim adjustment must be made with a purpose in mind and in a particular sequence. Otherwise, the adjustments a sailor makes is similar to shifting a sports car transmission into second gear and flooring the accelerator while, at the same time, applying the emergency brake!! Additionally, when adjusting draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack on the mainsail and jib all the controls for each element must be adjusted. In other words, I don't know how many of you remember the four-barrel carburetor but if you do, how would the engine run if you only adjusted two of the four barrels? Sail trim adjustments must compliment each other and work together or, like the carburetor, only half the sail is adjusted. A sailor has to know which sail trim controls for the main and jib is used to adjust what I call the "4 elements of sail trim", which are draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack. ALL the sail trim controls for the mainsail and jib are ON...
SAIL TRIM MADE SIMPLE
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Do any or all of the sail trim controls on your boat confuse you? Do you wonder what sail trim is needed for a particular wind condition and point of sail? Most sail trim books have information all over the place. For example, the traveler may be on pages 25, 56, 125 and 230 and the same is true for the other seven primary mainsail and six jib controls. Additionally, many books present scientific data and complicated formula for hull speed, wave lengths and displacement/length ratios and endless verbiage. Wouldn't a beginner sailor prefer their sail trim information presented in a easy-to-understand fashion? Sail trim is an acquired art and, like any art or sport, simple to learn when presented in plain ENGLISH and non-technical terms. Most beginner to intermediate sailors are confused and intimated by all the sail controls for the main and jib and consequently don't use any of them or only a few. More importantly, they have little or no idea why they're making a part...