| Sail trim can be one of the great
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| | assign three and only three possible sail
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| mysteries of effectively sailing a vessel
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| | trim positions for the mainsail. The
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| propelled solely by the wind. Ask someone
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| | first is "all the way in" with the boom
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| who has been on a racing vessel, or even
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| | at the center line of the boat. The
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| just watched a racing yacht, and you are
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| | second trim position is "all the way out"
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| likely to hear how much work sailing is
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| | with the boom as far out as it will go
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| or how the sails need constant
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| | before the mainsail is against the
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| adjustment. This view is really
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| | spreader. The final position is
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| incorrect—sail trim can be as
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| | "half-way"; midway between the two
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| difficult or as simple as you want to
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| | extreme positions. Those positions are
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| make it. While it may be true that a
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| | easy to understand and to execute using
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| racing sail boat trying to achieve every
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| | just the mainsheet. The only question
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| last tenth of knot of boat speed does
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| | remaining is when to use each position.
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| require a fair amount of sail trim
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| | We'll use three rules to determine which
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| adjustment, that is certainly not true
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| | trim position to use: – Rule One:
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| for the typical day sailor out for a
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| | use the "all the way in" position when
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| pleasurable afternoon or even for a
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| | you are sailing close-hauled. –
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| cruiser making a passage. In these
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| | Rule Two: use the "all the way out
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| situations, it is not uncommon to set the
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| | position" when you are sailing lower than
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| sails (and the autopilot for that
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| | a beam reach (i.e. broad reach or
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| matter), sit back and enjoy the day, the
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| | running). – Rule Three: use the
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| water, the boat and your sailing
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| | "half way" position all the rest of the
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| companions. This article describes for
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| | time (i.e. close reach and beam reach).
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| the beginner a simple method of sail trim
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| | That's all there is to it. No constant
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| that can be used to effectively and
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| | tweaking or adjusting. Just set once and
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| safely sail a boat on any point of sail
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| | sail. Using just these three positions
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| without lots of trim work (subsequent
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| | and setting the sails just once will keep
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| articles will address more sophisticated
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| | your boat moving at good clip and allow
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| methods of trim that also do not require
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| | you to have fun while sailing!
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| a lot of work).
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| | With our mainsail trimmed, now let's turn
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| To start, you must know your points of
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| | our attention to the foresail. We'll use
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| sail. The sail trim techniques described
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| | just two rules to get our foresail into a
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| here are based on your boat's relative
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| | reasonable trim position. – Rule
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| position to the wind, in other words,
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| | One: the curve of the foresail should be
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| your point of sail. Next, we will also
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| | parallel to the mainsail. This rule does
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| assume that at a beginning level you
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| | not require precision—just get it
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| won't be sailing in strong wind, so for
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| | close. With just a little practice you
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| now we won't discuss techniques to use
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| | will get quite close – just be
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| when the rig is overpowered. We'll assume
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| | sighting between the two sails. –
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| you are sailing in light to moderate
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| | Rule two is even easier: when you take
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| winds for your boat. We'll follow a very
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| | the mainsail out, take the foresail out
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| simple procedure—set the mainsail
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| | too. Conversely, when you pull the
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| to a predetermined position and then set
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| | mainsail in, sheet in the foresail too.
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| the foresail so it is parallel to the
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| | How far, you ask? Just follow Rule
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| mainsail. Done!
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| | One—simple!!
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| Let's start our trim lessons with the
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| | Using the above procedure, the beginning
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| mainsail. First, let's simplify the sail
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| | sailor can sail reasonably efficiently by
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| controls. For now we will leave the main
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| | setting both sails just once for each
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| traveler centered on the boat and the
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| | point of sail. This takes a great deal of
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| boom vang in one position. All our
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| | mystery out of sail trim and allows for
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| mainsail trim, then, will be with the
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| | significantly more enjoyment on the
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| mainsheet. For our purposes, we will
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| | water.
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