sail trim

[jay topping]

A frustrating day on the water. 70's vintage DII, racing open class on an inland lake here in Michigan, novice racer. Boat in fair to good condition, older sails, standard controls, mid-boom sheeting, adjustable jib cars on coamings, whisker pole to wing out the jib. Local conditions on the lake are typically light to moderate winds affected by the lake topography. Typical course: upwind start, reach, run, repeat, upwind finish. Frustration comes from not really knowing how to make the boat go fast, especially in relation to sail trim.

Questions: JIB-how do I decide where to set the jib cars? should I install barber haulers (and where do I get info on the set up?)(if yes, how do I use them?)? once I have the jib cars set, what do I look for in trimming the jib? since I don't have tell-tails on the jib (yet!), where should I put them and how do I use them in setting trim (up and off the wind)? MAIN-what is the interplay between cunningham, vang and outhaul, and how/when do I set them, and in relation to what conditions? I have three tell-tails on the leach of the main-do I need more? Where? and how do I use them in trimming the main? PLUS-any others I don't know enough to ask.

All answers/advice greatly appreciated, JT

[Roger]

You have asked enough questions with so many complex answers that it would fill a small book. Don Guillete's book actually. You will find that it has many of the answers you seek. It is called The Sail Trim Users Guide.

If you use barber haulers you want the clew of your jib on an imaginary line that is 18 degrees off center from the stemhead. Your telltales mounted equidistant at three places 1 foot back from and along the luff will tell you how to set your jib. All tell tales should fly straight back, except for the top one which should flip up every few seconds. Always trim towards the side that flies up. Once the jib is set as above, let out the main until if just luffs, then trim in until luff disappears.

Your jib lead block functions to either open or close the slot depending onthe wind conditions, usually placed further forward in higher winds and higher pointing, and back in lighter winds or off the wind. Think of it like a throttle, forward is faster (ie more wind). The mean position is on an imaginary line that bisects the sail at a midpoint through the clew and intersects the jib track. Mark that position as 0.

If you install barber haulers, they can be mounted on the top edge of the cuddy. You can also gain similar to the same effect by sheeting in the lazy sheet, (upwind sheet).

If these tech terms are frustrating you, please forgive me, they are the quick answer. Don's book explains all of this in plainer english.

[jpclowes]

Jay
I've heard that the best place for telltails are about 6 inches from the leading edge of the sail. I think the ones on my jib are actually between 4=5 inches from the leading edge. But I wouldn't swear to it. I also have a set further back that I can see though the window of the sail, but they usually don't completely agree with the others, so I rarely use them. A quick way to check on car placement is if you are sailing before a race, get your telltails streaming, then come up and fall off until they start to wiggle or break. If the ones close to the top of the sail break at the same time as the ones close to the bottom, you have the cars in the right place. If not adjust them until they do. (There is a way to go if one breaks before the other, but I'm dislexic and can never remember the right way, so I always have to experement.)
Also, where in Michigan are you? I'm in Ohio, and am always curious where close by racing DS's are.