| Of all the questions I'm most frequently asked, "How | | | | And balance is the critical word there. Reefing the |
| will I know when to reef the mainsail?" tops the list. It | | | | mainsail really is a matter of restoring the balance of |
| may seem to be dodging the issue to say that there | | | | the boat in increasing conditions. |
| are really two answers to this, depending whether | | | | Without a traveller it is more difficult to judge the |
| your boat's mainsail system includes a traveller or not. | | | | indisputable moment. It varies from boat to boat, even |
| If you have a traveller, it is much easier to tell when to | | | | from steerer to steerer. But essentially the problem is |
| reef than if you don't. This is because as soon as you | | | | the same. The boat is becoming overpowered. It |
| need to ease the traveller because of the pressure of | | | | probably has its lee rail under and will be starting to slip |
| wind on the mainsail, you need to reef. Really | | | | to leeward. |
| experienced sailors may have learnt from their own | | | | Unfortunately, it demands more experience than with a |
| boat how much more pressure it will accommodate | | | | traveller system. |
| between the first easing and the traveller being fully | | | | What can help in these circumstances, particularly for |
| extended. | | | | small to medium size boats, is to have a flattening reef |
| It is hard to imagine a boat being able to sail | | | | in the mainsail. This is basically a reef which removes a |
| satisfactorily to windward with the traveller fully | | | | smaller slab of sail area compared with a full reef. It |
| extended, but it could be in some cases that reefing | | | | allows a flatter trim to the sail which again allows the |
| the mainsail on the first real pressure is too early | | | | steerer to sail closer to the wind because the weather |
| although I tend to be of the school of early reefers. | | | | helm is reduced. |
| It is essential to understand the reasons for reefing. It is | | | | If the increase in wind strength that has brought on the |
| not because the mast is likely to be plucked out of the | | | | reef is quite severe, it may be necessary to reef the |
| boat or because the mainsail might tear. It is because | | | | headsail as well. This is usually done by putting up a |
| the weather helm increases to the extent that the | | | | smaller headsail and dropping the current larger one. It |
| steerer has to adjust the rudder to compensate. This | | | | is obviously easier to furl a sail than to change it but a |
| is precisely like braking in a car. | | | | furled sail is much harder to sail closer to the wind as |
| Nearly all great windward sailing is really a duet | | | | the roll of sail along the former luff breaks up the |
| between the person steering and the person on the | | | | airflow more. |
| traveller. It is a song of equals but the definite, | | | | Just to show that nothing's really simple in sailing, when |
| indisputable time to reef is when the hand on the | | | | to change headsails differs between masthead rigs |
| traveller cannot balance the weather helm. | | | | and fractional rigs, but that's another subject. |