When do you put a reef in?

[BelleSerene]

At what wind strength do you start reefing?

I've just reduced my threshold for a single reef in the main, to only around 15 knots AWS. The boat just handles better. However I'm not sure if this is optimal for VMG when racing: perhaps I should press on further without a reef, as I used to.

At ~20 knots AWS I'll put two in.

Interested in experiences and pros and cons.

 

[flaming]

Inshore racing with the full crew we wouldn't be reefed until the TWS was over 30. (AWS btw is not a good measure, as how well you're sailing the boat, and what point of sail you're on are big factors in the number, so it's hard to be repeatable).
We will though have changed jibs, maybe all the way down to the number 4.
Cruising the same boat the 1st reef would go in about 16-17 kts TWS.

 

[{151760}]

As we don't have any wind instruments, we have to make such judgements in other ways.
So, if my wife is thrown across the cockpit by the wheel kickback, it's time to reef! On our previous boat, an Achilles 24, if the winches were submerged, it was time to reef.
There are other factors, of course, but boat balance and ease of handling are our main concerns as confirmed cruisers, so we may well hold on to more sail on a reach than a beat, we may well reef early if it looks like the wind might increase, and we don't fancy a struggle later. Sometimes we'll just drift gently along under just the jib to enjoy the day. For us it's all a matter of feel.

 

[pagoda]

Inshore racing with the full crew we wouldn't be reefed until the TWS was over 30. (AWS btw is not a good measure, as how well you're sailing the boat, and what point of sail you're on are big factors in the number, so it's hard to be repeatable).
We will though have changed jibs, maybe all the way down to the number 4.
Cruising the same boat the 1st reef would go in about 16-17 kts TWS.

With more able crew agreed, though depends on how the boat copes as well. For cruising - the best way to look at it if you are light on crew is to put a reef in the FIRST time it crosses your mind. Rather than struggle later on...

 

[Poignard]

As soon as I begin to wonder whether I ought to put a reef in. A moment's work to shake it out if it proves to be uneccessary.

 

[jwilson]

Racing with crew reef for the lighter bits, play sheets/traveler etc for the gusts. Cruising specially on modern production boats best to reef for the gusts.

If to windward and any sea/swell at all it's best on my Jeanneau SO35 to put first reef in at about 12 knots wind, if in flat water and feathering main slightly can just hold to about 18 knots. Bit different from my previous heavy long-keel boat where I have sailed in certainly 30 knots plus (no instruments) with full sail, very heeled but still under control. 98-99% of the time the new boat is better ....... fairly fast in light airs, much more space, and it will still get from A to B in a blow if it has to, though the slamming is awful.

Remember waching a big US-built Transpac-type ultralight with two reefs in to windward in about 8 knots wind: shortly afterwards it lost it's mast and the race. Saw the mast fall, surprisingly slowly......

 

[horatio_nelson]

I generally reef at 18 - 20 AWS, again at about 25 - 27 and only then start reefing the fractional 120% headsail. She sails like she's on rails with that set up.

Never used reef three...

 

[claymore]

Before we go if the forecast suggests - easy enough to shake it out if necessary.

 

[Stemar]

When the Admiral complains about the amount of heel...

 

[Kelpie]

When the person on the helm is grinning ear to ear and has to use both hands.
Seriously, though, it depends on the boat/rig, and point of sail. If you're going sideways, you've left it too late.

 

[[70521]]

When you think you need to put one in. For some reason I always put one in during the hours of darkness - just to save having to do it at 0300 when the hooly starts blowing.

 

[westhinder]

I find my reefing thresholds have gone up with my new set of sails.
I used to reef the mainsail when going to windward and the AWS showing a steady 18 knots. That has gone up to 20-22. Similarly the second reef: 22 has become 24. Better shape sails that can be flattened more make the difference.
Much will also depend on the type of boat and the ballast ratio.

 

[johnalison]

The ability to carry sail is much affected by the size of the boat. This is roughly because the sail area increases with the square of the size and the weight by the cube. It doesn't take much wind to flatten a pond yacht. Reefing at about 15kn apparent is quite common for lively or modest yachts. It is about what I would have done on our Sadler 29. My current HR34 with a 110% jib will carry full sail to windward up to 24kn apparent, roughly 20 true. I can harden the sails and weather a gust up to 28 but would normally reef by then.

Off the wind it is largely a matter of choice and nerve. I have happily sailed with a poled-out jib and up to 34 knots of true wind, but in cruising terms, there is little to be lost on, say, a broad reach by taking a reef whenever the going gets a bit boisterous. There is an old saying that you should reef for the sea state rather than the wind.

 

[Richard10002]

As soon as I begin to wonder whether I ought to put a reef in. A moment's work to shake it out if it proves to be uneccessary.

+1 the time to shake it out is 15-20 minutes after wondering whether to shake it out

 

[Seajet]

When you think you need to put one in. For some reason I always put one in during the hours of darkness - just to save having to do it at 0300 when the hooly starts blowing.

Arthur Ransome: ' Never be afraid to put a reef in, in the dark '.

Otherwise, the boat will tell you.

 

[RupertW]

When the person on the helm is grinning ear to ear and has to use both hands.
Seriously, though, it depends on the boat/rig, and point of sail. If you're going sideways, you've left it too late.

For me your answer is almost the universal one - we lost our wind instruments for most of last season and basically reefed when the wheel knot went to 3 o'clock often or 6 o'clock even once. At that stage we reckoned we were starting to slow down the boat rather than steer.

Of course played with sheets and main track as well but in general as cruisers who spend almost all the time on autohelm it was a good way of keeping up speed and sailing more comfortably. Now that I have got numbers again it will be interesting to see when we reef at different apparent wind speeds. With our boat shape the full main will stay up longer when beating and be reefed or dropped altogether once the wind is moving towards the beam or further.

 

[bitbaltic]

There's no point anyone saying what wind speed they reef in without saying what the boat is 'cos it all depends on the boat.

We reef when the missus says so,

 

[Tranona]

Much of this angst can be avoided if you have in mast or in boom furling. Easier to do and you can vary the sail area infinitely rather than being stuck with 3 predetermined mainsail areas.

Just saying.

 

[derekgillard]

At what wind strength do you start reefing?

I've just reduced my threshold for a single reef in the main, to only around 15 knots AWS. The boat just handles better. However I'm not sure if this is optimal for VMG when racing: perhaps I should press on further without a reef, as I used to.

At ~20 knots AWS I'll put two in.

Interested in experiences and pros and cons.

In my AWB I do exactly the same

 

[duncan99210]

No real idea about wind speeds, as we don't have a functional wind instrument but we reef when we carry too much helm, like Rupert said. I was taught that if you think you need a reef, you do, so put it in now: if you think you need to shake a reef out, have a cup of tea and if you still need to shake the reef out, do it.