lightwind trimming.

[chappy]

My trimming of genoa & mainsail is not very good as experienced over the weekend when i was on a broad reach & also running.
Is there anyone who can give me advice on these two points of sail (broad reach & running) in light winds of aboat 5 knots.
Do i keep my main & genoa on the same trim angle as i would with say 12 knots of wind or do i trim them right back in to stop them flapping all over the place.
regards
Dave

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[William_H]

For the mainsail in light winds ease the outhaul on the foot of the main. Ease the backstay a lot and the halyard a little . This will give maximum camber (belly) to the sail On reach ease the main sheet until the sail begins to luff then tighten a little. The boom vang should be eased to give just a little twist ie top of the sail is further to leeward than the bottom but just a little. When running let the main sheet out to a degree limited by concerns of chafe on the spreaders to provide greatest area to the wind.
The genoa cars should be moved foreward a little when beating to windward to induce more camber along with slightly looser halyard. When on a reach you will ease the sheet until it is luffing then tighten a little. This will however give a lot of twist to the top of the genoa ie the top flows to leeward and does no work. Move the jib sheet cars forward and sheet in so that there is more downward pull on the sheet bringing the top of the sail toward the wind. I prefer to get the same effect by attaching another light sheet to the clew (aft bottom of sail) and taking this to a pulley well forward of the normal sheeting point pull this tight along with the jib sheet to get the clew in the right position. It is even better if you can take this additional sheet to a point on the gunwhale or even outboard on a pole to get the clew outboard. You can use a pole onto the clew itself. All this enabnles you to pull the sail tight but not too far to windward as to make thye sail stall.
If you have tell tales ie bits of ribbon or wool in the genoa near the bottom middle and top toward the luff and if you have enough wind these should flow horizontal on windward and leeward side. If the leeward ones start dancing around you are stalling the sail and it is pulled to windward too much. Whether it is the top bottom or all that stall is dictated by the twist of the sail. Obviously if the top flows away from the wind it won't stall while the bottom may be in toward the centreline of the boat and will stall. If the tell tales on the windward side start dancing it is starting to luff and needs to be tighter tward the centre of the boat agasin top can vary from the bottom. ( If you are hard on the wind you need to steer down wind a little.
I hope all this makes sense . Fit tell tales, a piece of wool threaded through the sail about 20% from front knotted each side about 20 cms each side will do.(at least 3 top, (20% down) middle and bottom 20% up) Get someone else to steer and take a long look at your sails especially the genoa. Funny I went sailing on Sunday it was Blowing a gail but then it is the beginning of winter here. Enjoy your summer will

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[boatless]

Agree with all the foregoing. Add one basic rule. Ease everything, one at a time, until creases appear, then pull it back in to get rid of them. Halyards, outhaul, sheets, kicker. And once they are all perfect, start again, because the wind has changed!

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[chappy]

Thanks for your advice
regards
Dave.

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