[Type text] Double Handed Sailing

Coaching Resources

Double Handed Sailing

Skill breakdowns and troubleshooting guide to assist double handed coaches.

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Acknowledgements

Written by: Jen Braem

With: Erik Van der Pol

Contributors: Steve McBride

Oliver Bone

Michael Leitch

Jessica Round

Editors: Rob Fox

Photographs taken by: Teddy Skiffington

Jonathan Parker

Sailors in Photos: Jen Braem

Erin Flanagan

Fraser McMillan

Erik Van der Pol

Written in Partnership with Royal Victoria Yacht Club, BC Sailing, and the Canadian Yachting Association

Written October 2011

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Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5

Roles in the Boat: The Crew and the Helm ............................................................................................................................. 6

Communication: .................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Roles in the Boat ................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Weight Placement and Body Position ..................................................................................................................................... 8

Upwind Body Position ......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Body Position: Going Through the Gears ............................................................................................................................ 9

Trapeze .................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Clipping In and Getting out on the Wire ........................................................................................................................... 10

Unclipping from the Wire ................................................................................................................................................. 11

Trapezing: Form and Weight Placement........................................................................................................................... 11

General Form ................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Tacking a Double Handed Dinghy ......................................................................................................................................... 12

Roll Tacking ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Wire to Wire Tacks ............................................................................................................................................................ 15

Spinnaker .............................................................................................................................................................................. 16

Symmetrical Spinnaker Hoist: ........................................................................................................................................... 16

Troubleshooting Spinnaker Hoists ........................................................................................................................................ 18

Windward Spinnaker Hoists .............................................................................................................................................. 19

What’s the difference between a windward and leeward hoist? ................................................................................ 19

Reach Hoists .......................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Troubleshooting Windward Spinnaker Hoists .................................................................................................................. 20

Spinnaker Gybes................................................................................................................................................................ 20

Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybe: ........................................................................................................................................... 21

Troubleshooting Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybes ............................................................................................................... 22

Spinnaker Douse: .............................................................................................................................................................. 25

Troubleshooting Symmetrical Spinnaker Douses ............................................................................................................. 26

Trimming and Helming with the Spinnaker ...................................................................................................................... 27

Reaching with the Kite ...................................................................................................................................................... 28

How a Sail Works: Trimming for Speed ................................................................................................................................ 29

Basic Sail Theory ................................................................................................................................................................ 29

Mainsail Trim and Controls ............................................................................................................................................... 33

Mainsheet and Bridle Tension ...................................................................................................................................... 33

General rule of thumb for mainsheet tension upwind: ................................................................................................ 33

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Boom Vang .................................................................................................................................................................... 34

Cunningham .................................................................................................................................................................. 34

Outhaul ......................................................................................................................................................................... 34

Mainsail Trimming Guide .................................................................................................................................................. 35

The Jib ............................................................................................................................................................................... 36

Trimming the Jib ............................................................................................................................................................... 38

Windward Sheeting and Barber Hauling ....................................................................................................................... 39

Jib Cunningham ............................................................................................................................................................. 40

Jib Halyard Tension ....................................................................................................................................................... 40

Centre of Effort ................................................................................................................................................................. 41

Centre of Lateral Resistance ............................................................................................................................................. 42

Heel and Helm ................................................................................................................................................................... 43

Tuning a Double Handed Dinghy .......................................................................................................................................... 44

Aspects of Tuning .............................................................................................................................................................. 44

Mast Heel Position ........................................................................................................................................................ 44

Mast Rake...................................................................................................................................................................... 45

Rig Tension .................................................................................................................................................................... 46

Pre-Bend........................................................................................................................................................................ 46

On Water Rig Changes .................................................................................................................................................. 47

Go Fast Tips for Race Coaches .............................................................................................................................................. 48

Club 420 Body Placement: ................................................................................................................................................ 48

Club 420 Bridle Setup ........................................................................................................................................................ 48

Club 420 Tuning Guide .................................................................................................................................................. 49

Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................................................... 50

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Introduction

Double handed sailing is not so different from single handed sailing. It incorporates all aspects of single handed sailing,

in particular, those skills which sailors will have learned throughout the Opti program. The fundamentals of balance,

propulsion, and direction are all essential to the double handed team. What makes double handed sailing so special is

the added dimension of teamwork. Suddenly there are two people in the boat. Two sailors means two brains, two

styles of sailing, two personalities, and two bodies to deal with. On top of all that, we add in a jib, shrouds, a trapeze

system, and a spinnaker! All of these added tools mean that double handed sailing is extremely complex.

This document is a guide for coaches to assist new double handed teams as they work to become just that… a team. We

have worked to describe complex boat handling manoeuvres in easy, step by step, breakdowns, so that coaches have

the resources to coach their athletes in the “best practices” of current racing styles. What does this mean? It means

that there will always be sailors who develop their own styles of sailing and executing manoeuvres, but here we attempt

to break down skills so that the average sailor is most likely to succeed. We strongly encourage coaches to begin

coaching their athletes in these best practices, and wait to modify the skills once athletes are comfortable and can

execute these skills within a racing context and in a range of conditions.

We also seek to describe the roles and responsibilities of the helm and the crew in this resource. It is impossible to

overstate the importance of the crew in a double handed team. Special attention is given to crew skills throughout this

document, so that crews are given the coaching resources that they need to excel and to really understand their roles in

the boat.

Finally, we take a look at sail shape, the rig, and the whole sail system from a double handed perspective. We try to link

various aspects of the rig together, so that coaches can help athletes truly understand how one thing affects another on

a double handed boat.

In addition to this resource, there are manuals targeted towards singlehanded sailing and skiff sailing. Likewise, these

two manuals will act as resources for coaches to go out and learn about today’s style of sailing for each type of boat. Go

out, try all of these resources, and keep pushing yourself beyond the contents of what we have to share!

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Roles in the Boat: The Crew and the Helm Teamwork and communication are of the utmost importance in double handed sailing. The helm and crew must each

know their own role and understand their partner’s role in the boat as well. Once each member of the team becomes

comfortable with his or her role, he must allow the other to perform his role. At this point communication becomes key,

and teams who are able to communicate effectively often find themselves at the front of the fleet on the race course.

Communication: So how do teams communicate effectively? Each team must develop its own style of communication, because each

team’s personality differs. As a general rule, however, communication should be factual, concise, and impersonal.

Factual:

Communication based on facts means that the team can focus on what is actually happening, such as “we’re in a lull, the

boat feels stalled” or “puff in 3 seconds, it should be a lift”, rather than perceived themes such as “we feel slow.”

Concise:

This one is a given, especially if you’ve ever tried to communicate to your helm in 25 knots or on a start line with 40

luffing jibs! Keep sentences short and consistent so that they are easy to understand. Short statements mean that the

other person will need to spend less time deciphering the message. Consistent statements mean that the other person

will always know what is being said. For example, if one crew consistently communicates gusts to her helm by saying

“puff in five” and then one day says “pressure coming,” the helm could easily be confused by this different message.

Impersonal:

Communication between partners should be impersonal. This is difficult, especially during the heat of the moment.

However, teams should constantly strive to communicate to each other in a professional and respectful manner, and

this means avoiding criticism, blame, or other personal remarks. When training, remarks should be directed at

performance, rather than at the individual. When racing, this becomes increasingly important, as emotions can run high

and athletes can begin to blame each other for mistakes.

Factual

Impersonal Concise

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Roles in the Boat In order to communicate effectively, each member of the team must know his or her role inside out. Again, each team

will develop its own specific roles over time. With new teams, however, coaches should follow these general guidelines

to help athletes understand their roles within the boat.

Helm

Upwind:

Mainsail Trim

Steering

Centreboard Trim

Downwind:

Steering to keep pressure in kite

Tactics

Calling puffs/shifts

Steering for waves (weight & driving)

Spinnaker pole trim (topping lift)

Crew

Upwind:

Tactics

Fore and Aft Weight

Keeping boat flat

Calling puffs/shifts

Overall race course management

Jib trim

Downwind:

Flying kite

Communicating pressure to helm (kite)

Boat trim (body weight)

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Weight Placement and Body Position Weight placement is key to creating a balanced boat which sails efficiently through the wind and waves. As a coach,

spending time on achieving effective body position in the boat will help your athletes to feel the boat and sail the boat

effectively. There are different positions for the helm and the crew at different wind strengths, and teaching athletes

these different positions as well as when to transition between them will make a world of difference to the balance of

their boat and their sailing. Below are some overall guidelines for body position, and different combinations of weight

placement for both upwind and downwind.

Upwind Body Position

Helm: The key for the helm is to sit in a position which will allow for maximum feel of the boat. When sitting properly,

the body can actually begin to feel the subtle changes in power and balance with each puff and lull. This means that he

or she can use his or her body to make subtle adjustments to trim and balance, rather than the tiller. The more that the

helm can use body weight to trim the boat rather than the tiller, the faster the boat will sail because tiller movements

are reduced and flow is maintained over the centreboard and the rudder. So, what’s the best way for the helm to sit?

Here are some basic guidelines:

Knees Knees should be together with feet tucked up underneath the body so that the helm’s core can

be engaged. When the core is engaged it’s much easier to feel the subtle differences in the trim

and balance of the boat. Legs should also both be directly aft of the traveller bar. While it’s

important to keep weight forward in the boat, keeping one leg in front of the traveller bar

prevents the helm from engaging his or her core and can’t feel the boat as effectively. It also

hampers subtle mainsheet adjustments. Moving the helm aft a few inches and allowing him to

keep his core engaged will be more effective to overall boat balance than keeping one leg in

front of the traveller bar. To keep weight forward, keep legs aft of the traveller bar but body

forward.

Shoulders The helm should try to keep his shoulders out beyond his hips. This again keeps the core

stomach muscles engaged and allows for subtle but effective weight adjustments, and reduces

excess tiller movements and allows for comfort and visibility when driving.

When to hike? The helm should begin hiking once the crew is fully trapezing. Having crew weight on the wire

helps the performance of the rig, and the crew can make many small and intricate adjustments

to balance from the wire. Fore and aft balance as well as keeping the boat flat are priorities, so

the helm should remain seated on the windward gunwhale until the crew is fully trapezing.

Crew: The crew is the engine which drives the boat. He or she will be responsible for keeping the boat flat and thus will

find herself moving around as the breeze changes in order to keep the boat properly balanced both windward and

leeward as well as fore and aft. The key to crewing effectively is agility and anticipation. The crew must be able to

transfer weight from leeward to windward in order to keep the boat flat but without disturbing the flow over sails and

foils. He or she must also be able to move fore and aft for puffs and lulls to keep the boat moving through waves, to

initiate surfing, and to prevent the bow from blowing off of the wind.

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Body Position: Going Through the Gears Different wind conditions and sea states call for different positions for both the helm and crew. The team must decide

together which is the best position at the time, and when it’s appropriate to “switch gears” from one position to the

next. Again, this is where communication and team work are key. Below are some guidelines to help sailors move

through the gears as breeze builds or decreases when sailing.

Gear 1: Drifter & Light Air

Helm: Sits on the rounded part of the tank with hips forward of traveler bar, feet tucked up underneath knees.

Crew: Depending on how light the wind is the crew can either site on the leeward tank or in the leeward side in front of the thwart. The most important thing is that the crew is on her feet and is agile. The crew progressively moves to the windward side as the wind increases.

Gear 2: Medium Air

Helm: Sits on the rounded part of the tank with hips

forward of traveler bar, feet tucked up underneath knees.

Crew: Sits on the windward side either in front of the

thwart or on the windward tank. If on the windward

tank, the crew can place his front arm the trapeze handle

to pull the boat down if a gust comes in. He can even clip into the trapeze hook

and trapeze off the centerboard case. If this is still not enough weight to

keep the boat flat, the crew can trapeze of the gunwales. The most important part is

that the crew is agile.

Gear 3: Heavy Air

Helm: Sits just behind the traveler with feet under the

hiking straps to hike the boat flat once the crew is fully

trapezing.

Crew: Full trapezing, crew steps aft in the boat to help lift the bow once planing.

Crew can be as far back as the traveler bar when it is really windy. Step forward and back on the gunhale

depending on the gusts and lulls.

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Trapeze Trapezing is one of the things that makes double handed sailing so exciting for athletes; it requires a fast and powerful

boat and windy enough conditions to power up the rig. Trapezing is very simple: clip on and get your shoulders back.

Trapezing well, on the other hand, is an art form. In order to trapeze effectively, the crew must be well balanced, agile,

and able to balance his or her movements with those of the helm. The crew and helm must work together to keep the

boat as balanced as possible and they must strive to move as

smoothly as possible together.

Clipping In and Getting out on the Wire

The key with clipping in on the wire is to get out as quickly as

possible. This is why it’s important to teach athletes to clip in AFTER

they have pushed themselves out on to the wire. As a coach,

encourage athletes to clip in once they’re out on the wire rather than

clipping in from a seated position on the gunwhale and then pushing

out onto the wire. Clipping in from the gunwhale is generally much

less smooth and will disturb flow over the sail and the foils. As a

coach you’ll be able to see this by watching the leech of the main as

the crew struggles to clip in and push out on to the wire. The

smoother that the crew becomes when pushing out and clipping in,

the less he or she will affect flow over the boat and therefore speed.

Skill Breakdown for Clipping In

Crew sitting on ww gunwhale, jib sheet in aft hand

Crew grab wire above trapeze puck with front hand

Crew put front foot up onto edge of ww gunwhale

Crew push body out with front foot (leg press motion) while hanging straight arm from front hand -drag aft hand along jib sheet to keep ahold of it, if Crew drops jib sheet, Helm can hand it back to Crew

Crew bring aft foot out as front leg reaches full extension

Using aft hand (with jib sheet) clip trapeze hook to harness Let go of trapeze system, and press shoulders down

Clipping in on the Wire

Crew grabs puck with front hand and drags

jib sheet out with aft hand.

Crew extends body weight to flatten boat.

Once fully extended, crew can then clip in.

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Unclipping from the Wire Again, it’s important to emphasize that the crew must be smooth and light footed when

unclipping from the wire and coming in. This is why it’s important to unclip from the

trapeze while still out on the wire, and then to straight arm hang in order to keep weight on

the wire while stepping into the boat. Keeping the weight off of the crew’s feet will help to

keep the manoeuvre smooth and minimize any disturbances of flow to the sails and foils.

Trapezing: Form and Weight Placement

General Form

The whole concept of trapezing is that of using a lever to keep your boat flat. If we accept this concept, then it’s logical

that the longer the lever, or in this case crew, the more effective he or she will be at keeping the boat flat. This is why in

racing situations, the ideal crew is tall, so that he or she has natural leverage to keep the boat flat. Further effectiveness

can be achieved through proper form. Proper form is all about the crew becoming the most effective lever possible. It’s

also important to maintain balance. A balanced crew will be able to move effectively on the trapeze so that he or she

can maintain the overall balance of the boat. Below are some guidelines to help your crews achieve effective trapezing

postures:

Skill Breakdown for Unclipping

Crew holds jib sheet with aft hand (if tacking then clears jib sheet)

Crew grab wire above trapeze puck with front hand

Crew lift hips to release trapeze hook from trapeze bale

Crew is now hanging straight armed from puck

Crew bends knees and steps into cockpit with front foot first

Crew releases trapeze system and sits on windward gunwhale

Tips for Teaching Trapeze

On land with wire system clipped to wall, have athlete clip in using straight arm technique. This way he or she will build muscle memory in a safe environment.

On water, pair athlete with an experienced helm and again practice clipping in using straight arm. An experienced helm will provide a smoother platform for the athlete learning to trapeze.

If upper body strength is an issue, ensure that the front arm is kept straight as if in a dead hang. Trapezing with a bent arm will cause the athlete to tire prematurely.

Fore and Aft Placement

on Trapeze:

In order to keep the boat

sailing fast, the crew can

use his or her body to trim

the boat during puffs. By

stepping fore and aft

during sustained puffs and

lulls, the crew can reduce

the helm’s need to ease

during puffs, and thus keep

more power in the rig. This

is particularly helpful in

short chop and puffy

conditions.

Puff: Crew should step aft

initially, and then ball down

if need be.

Lull: Step forward in a

short lull instead of balling

up. Ball up if the lull is

sustained.

Rule of Thumb: Crew

should step aft with

increasing wind strength

and speed in order to

promote planing (if bow is

being blown off by the

wind, you’re too far aft!)

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Feet: Together with toes pointed and facing forward or together and pointed with front foot forward and aft

foot straight

Legs: Straight but knees unlocked, aft knee can be slightly bent for balance. Legs should not be splayed far

apart

Torso: Fully extended with little to no bend at the hips unless light wind and the crew is high wiring. Torso

should be facing forward so that crew can look to weather and the body should be as stiff as possible to

transfer energy to the boat. As a rule of them when coaching, you should be able to draw a straight line

from your athlete’s ankles, knees, hips, and right to their shoulders

Arms: Holding jib sheet (420) or mainsheet (29er), can have an arm overhead for further leverage. Avoid

holding the trapeze puck or dangling arm underneath body

Head: Looking to weather

Figure 1: Trapezing form for both light air and heavy air. In both cases, the crew is the engine which keeps the boat flat and balanced.

Ball Up or Ball Down? The crew plays a critical role in keeping the boat balanced and moving in trapezing conditions. He or she can raise or lower his or her height on the trapeze by using the tackle on the trapeze wire. This is called ‘balling up or balling down.’ It’s important to remember that this is a coarse adjustment, though, and the crew should strive to use fore and aft weight placement as well as shoulders as much as possible before reverting to the trapeze tackle. Bending the knees (while keeping the upper body straight), are another effective way to make fine adjustments to boat balance.

Ball up: The crew should ball up if knees are constantly bent and the crew’s waist is constantly below his or her knees.

Ball down: The crew should ball down if he or she is fully extended and the helm is frequently easing the main while

fully hiking.

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Tacking a Double Handed Dinghy Tacking a double handed boat requires communication and timing between the helm and the crew. The longer that a

team sails together, the smoother and more efficient their tacks become as they learn to anticipate each other’s

movements in the boat. There are also many different types of tack for different conditions, and different styles for

different sailors. For instance, some helms tack with their tillers in front of them, as in the way that Laser and Opti

sailors are taught. Other helms will tack by rotating the tiller extension behind them like a helicopter wing. Both are

right, it just depends on the style and preference of the sailor. There are also best practises for drifter conditions,

marginal trapezing conditions, and wire to wire tacks. We will outline common breakdowns for roll tacks and wire-to-

wire tacks in this manual, but it’s important that sailors develop their own feel for the boat and when to switch gears

into another mode of tacking.

Roll Tacking When to roll tack: Roll tacking is used to pump the sails and maintain

velocity out of the tack. It is used from drifter conditions through to and

including marginal trapezing conditions.

Skill Breakdown for roll tacking a double handed dinghy

Helm Crew

Ask Helm “Ready to tack?”

Helm confirms when ready to tack Crew counts in tack

Helm gently heads up and keeps boat flat (mainsheet is trimmed tight), note that there is no pre-roll

Crew keeps boat flat, holds ww trapeze puck with front hand, holds jib sheet with aft hand

As front 1/3 of jib luffs helm rolls boat to ww by leaning shoulders outboard and tucking feet up under torso

Crew places full weight onto trapeze puck with front hand and leans outboard onto puck to roll boat

Helm ease main 2-3 inches As jib begins to back, crew uncleats it and lets go of sheet

As boom crosses boat, helm runs aft hand up tiller extension to universal (assuming a frying pan tiller switch)

Crew releases trapeze puck and trims jib with front hand (same hand as was used to hold trapeze puck)

Helm crosses boat with aft foot first (facing forward) and rotates tiller extension behind tiller. Keep mainsheet in front hand.

Crew crosses boat and brings new jib sheet to ww side with him/her, trimming to 3 inches from max trim

Helm pumps boat flat as he/she reaches new ww gunwhale, once boat is flat, sheet all the way in, and reach back to tiller extension using mainsheet hand. Then reach around with old tiller extension hand to grab mainsheet.

Crew pumps boat flat together with Helm. As boat accelerates to full speed, trim the last 3 inches of the jib

Tiller Switch:

Frying Pan vs

Microphone

There are different methods for

switching the tiller after a tack, and

each has its place.

Frying Pan: Useful for dinghies with

centre mainsheets such as Club 420

or the 470 because the extension

swings around behind the tiller and

can’t get caught on the main.

Method: If Helm wants to steer with

tiller extension on the deck, keep

tiller extension facing down beside

hips and run hand up to the universal

as back footsteps across boat. As

helm crosses boat, rotate tiller

extension aft towards the transom

and then place tiller extension on

new gunwhale as helm sits.

Microphone: Used for dinghies with

aft mainsheets such as 29ers and

Lasers

Method: Helm switches tiller by

reaching back to extension with

mainsheet hand to hold both main

and tiller extension in mainsheet

hand. Then old tiller hand reaches

around to take mainsheet.

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Figure 2 : Holding the tiller down on the deck is useful for steering in light wind. Holding the tiller like a microphone is good when trimming frequently or hiking

Troubleshooting Roll Tacks

Coach, I can’t get my boat to roll enough!

Common error: This is likely a timing error. Either the sailors are rolling the boat at the wrong time or they’re

not rolling together (or both). Make sure that both sailors initiate the roll together; this can be done by having

either the helm or the crew call when to roll the boat. The timing of the roll itself is critical to ensuring that the

boat rolls smoothly and powerfully. Wait until the front 1/3 of the jib breaks to initiate the roll, then roll hard to

weather.

I feel like I’m going to fall out of the boat!

Common error: If the crew is complaining of feeling like he or she will fall out of the boat, then ensure that she

use the trapeze puck to pull herself back into the boat. Core body strength is important here, as it will be

fundamental in pulling oneself back into the boat to flatten it out.

If the Helm is complaining of feeling like he or she will fall out of the boat, make sure he is tucking his legs up

underneath him prior to rolling the boat. He can press his heels into the gunwhale underneath him to further

brace his body into the boat. Then, when he needs to flatten the boat, he can engage his core and essentially

stand straight up to cross over to flatten the boat.

Coach, my boat feels slow after the tack!

Common error:

Over steering: Over steering will cause the jib and main to stall after the tack because they are over trimmed.

Have the sailor work on reducing steering throughout the manoeuvre instead of jamming the tiller over.

Alternatively, check to ensure that the helm is easing the main 2-3 inches during the tack.

Over Flattening: Over flattening the boat will negate the effects of roll tacking in the first place. Watch the mast,

if it comes past vertical, then sailors are rolling too much. In this case, have the crew and helm reduce their roll

or move inboard as they finish their rolls. This is particularly important in light wind.

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Wire to Wire Tacks

Helm Crew

Ask Helm “Ready to tack?”

Helm confirms when ready to tack Crew counts in tack, clears jib sheets, usually by ensuring they are not fouled by draping them behind him in the boat with aft hand

Helm gently heads up and keeps boat flat (mainsheet is trimmed tight)

Crew unclip trapeze hook and transfer into the straight arm. Crew should be straight arm hanging

As front 1/3 of main luffs (or jib begins to luff), helm steps back foot across cockpit

As crew swings into the boat, he/she should land with both feet on the old windward side of the CB casing, on the cockpit floor

Helm ease main 6-8 inches as the main breaks and begins to luff

Crew eases old working jib sheet as soon as feet hit cockpit floor

As boom crosses boat, helm runs aft hand up tiller extension to universal (frying pan style tiller switch)

Step and twist through the boat, leading with old aft foot and stepping onto the thwart. Grab new jib sheet with new aft hand

Helm crosses boat with aft foot first (facing forward) and rotates tiller extension behind tiller. Keep mainsheet in front hand.

As crew twists through the boat he/she should trim the new jib sheet and grab the new trapeze wire

Helm pumps boat flat as he/she reaches new ww gunwhale, once boat is flat, sheet all the way in

Crew steps on to the gunwale with her/his front foot, weight should be on the new trapeze wire with arm straight

Helm switches tiller by reaching back to extension with mainsheet hand to hold both main and tiller extension in mainsheet hand. Then old tiller hand reaches around to take mainsheet.

Transfer out into the straight arm position

If Helm wants to steer with tiller extension on the deck, keep tiller extension facing down beside hips, if Helm wants to steer with tiller extension as a microphone, then slip extension over aft shoulder using aft hand

Adjust jib trim if necessary and then clip into trapeze hook

Trouble Shooting Wire to Wire Tacks

Coach, I can’t get clipped in soon enough!

Common Error: When sailors are new to tacking wire to wire, they often get stuck on the edge of the gunwhale trying to

clip in to their trapeze harnesses while the boat powers up and heels after the tack. Instead, have sailors grab the puck

and push themselves out onto the wire first, and dead hang from the wire until they clip in. This will keep the boat flat

and moving fast out of the tack.

Tips for Teaching Tacking

Communication is paramount for identifying opportunities to tack. Each team must

develop its own system for communicating through the tack. It’s often best to have the

crew identify opportunities to tack and gain on the beat while the helm focuses on

driving fast and selecting waves or ideal spots to perform the actual manoeuvre.

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Spinnaker

In this section we will break down the skills necessary to hoist, gybe, and douse a symmetrical spinnaker. The order of

operations is listed in its entirety first, so that you can see the skill from a holistic point of view. However, spinnaker skills

should be broken down into their component parts for initial coaching. This may seem frustrating to you as a coach, and

it may seem at first as though breaking the skill down into smaller components will be time consuming and inefficient.

The opposite is actually true; athletes will learn each small component more quickly when it is practised in isolation.

Then as skills are strung back together the athlete will have a clearer idea of the steps involved, why each step might fail,

and the overall manoeuvre will be much smoother.

Symmetrical Spinnaker Hoist:

Overall Skill Breakdown for a

Symmetrical Spinnaker Hoist

As you can tell, this is a complex manoeuvre, and there are many intricate steps involved in a proper symmetrical

spinnaker hoist. As a coach, you must break the skill down into its components so that your athletes can learn each skill

in isolation, master this skill, and then incorporate it into the hoist itself. Time and time again athletes become

frustrated as they try to learn spinnaker skills. They simply repeat the entire skill over and over, and they can’t figure out

why it’s not working. If you as a coach take the time to break the skill down and teach its components, you will

accomplish two things. First, both you and your athletes will be able to isolate problem areas within the skill as a whole.

Second, you’ll actually reduce the overall time that it takes to learn the skill. Right, now that we’ve broken down the

spinnaker hoist manoeuvre, let’s group the skills into categories.

Bear Away

1) Helm eases main and bears away as crew heels to ww

a. Crew ease jib 1/3 and cleats (to prevent head of kite

fouling on jib)

2) Helm hoist kite as crew holds in jib (so that kite doesn’t catch on

jib)

3) Helm cleat main and raise centreboard

a. Tiller can be either in aft hand or between knees

4) Helm takes up spinnaker sheets to fly kite (pull guy aft), keeps

boat flat and stable for crew

a. Crew attach topping lift

b. Crew attach pole to guy and push pole out to fill kite

c. Crew attach pole to mast

5) Crew sit next to shroud and take up guy, helm sits to leeward with

tiller extension against gunwhale (frying pan)

6) Helm hand sheet to crew

7) Crew ease cunningham

Before the Bear Away

1) Crew cleat guy/ pulls windward kite

sheet tight so helm can pull twing on

and cleat (pre-hoist into the reach hook)

2) Ease Vang

3) Crew uncleat jib in preparation for ease

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Footwork/Balance for Symmetrical Spinnaker Hoist

Helm Crew

Steer at a close hauled course while you prep for the hoist (hike if necessary to keep boat flat)

Maintain a flat boat either (trapezing in heavy air, sitting to windward, or to leeward if necessary)

Bear away and hike to windward if necessary to keep boat flat

Keep boat heeling to slightly windward as you bear away (if on the wire, unclip and straight arm until you can swing into cockpit)

Once sailing downwind, stand up in centre of cockpit to hoist kite, keep boat balanced for crew

Sit or stand on windward side as you attach pole to kite and mast

Once kite is flying, sit to leeward beside traveller bar, tiller extension in frying pan mode on deck.

Sit to windward

Pole Work for Symmetrical Spinnaker Hoist

Pole work should be taught separately before adding in the kite so as to give the crew the opportunity to learn this “choreography.”

Helm Crew

After the bear away, attach pole to topping lift

Hold guy out to get kite flying

Bring pole to guy and attach it

Attach pole to mast

Hand spin sheet to crew Take up guy and then pick up spin sheet from helm

Sheeting/Handwork for Symmetrical Spinnaker Hoist

Helm Crew

Reach forward with front hand to pull guy tight and cleat (keep mainsheet in aft hand w tiller)

Cleat guy/set guy in reaching hook/pull ww sheet tight if twing system is used

Ease vang

Ease mainsail and bear off, cleat main

Ease jib 1/3

Hoist kite Hold jib in until head of kite has cleared jib, then ease rest of way

Take up spin sheets

Fly kite by pulling spinnaker pole aft Trim main for max efficiency (AW) Jib Trim

Take up guy and then pick up spin sheet from helm Ease cunningham

Attaching the Spinnaker Pole

Attach pole to guy and keep kite flying

Push pole forward to keep kite flying

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Troubleshooting Spinnaker Hoists There are some common areas of difficulty for beginners as they learn to hoist the kite. As a coach, you should be able

to identify these problems and offer solutions to your athletes. Here are some common issues that sailors encounter as

they learn to hoist their kites.

Coach, my kite won’t hoist!

Common Error: Check to ensure that the halyard is running clear all the way up to the halyard box in the mast. It

can easily be wrapped around the jib halyard, forestay, or through the topping lift.

Common Error: Check to ensure that the halyard has been released out of the reaching hook prior to launching.

Coach, my kite’s all tangled!

Common Error: The pole has been attached to the sheet rather than the guy.

Common Error: Sheets were crossed when rigging the kite or rigged under or behind jib or forestay. Have your

athlete run the tapes on their kite before launching so that they are absolutely sure that the spin sheets are

clear prior to going sailing. Ensure kite sheets are running in front and outside of everything

Coach, my kite’s hour glassed!

Common Error: This can happen to the best of sailors. Just drop the halyard six inches, trim the sheet, and re-

hoist to clear the hourglass.

My kite won’t fly once it’s hoisted!

Common Error: Once the kite is hoisted, the helm needs to go straight to the spin sheets to get them flying. This

will help get the kite flying while the crew sets the spin pole.

Common Error: In light breeze you may be sailing too deep to fill the kite. Have the helm head up 5-10 degrees

to fill the kite. Alternatively, the pole might be too far forward, and the kite is stuck in the lull behind the main.

In this case, have the crew trim the pole aft to bring the kite out from behind the main.

Common Error: If the kite isn’t flying on a windward hoist, it could be that the helm is sailing too high. Bearing

off to a run should solve this problem. Also, step to windward to help the kite get all the way around the

forestay on the hoist. This helps the boat to bear off and helps “swing” the kite all the way around.

Coach, why do I always capsize during hoists?

Common Error: While the crew is busy sorting the pole, the helm must work hard to keep the boat flat and

stable. The helm must hike if necessary to keep the boat flat and if a big puff comes, the helm can ask the crew

for “weight” to help flatten the boat until the puff passes. It’s better for the crew to leave the pole and help

keep the boat upright than to try to get the pole clipped in a few seconds earlier in a big puff.

Common Error: In wavy conditions, the bow can often submerge while the crew is forward clipping on the pole.

In this case, the helm can move back in the boat to compensate for the crew’s weight, and keep the bow from

submerging under the waves. Again, if it’s a big wave, the helm can call the crew’s weight back, as it’s faster in

the long run to be upright and hold off a second or two on the pole than it is to be full of water or upside down.

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Windward Spinnaker Hoists Windward hoists are an important component to any sailor’s boat handling vocabulary. Knowing how to execute a

perfect windward or leeward hoist at the top mark means that the team is free to sail according to its strategy without

being hindered by limitations in boat handling. For example, if the kite is packed on the port side, then the team is free

to gybe around the windward mark and hoist immediately. Likewise, if the kite were packed to starboard on the first

downwind leg, the team is free to make a bear away set around the second top mark if this is the strategy.

Helm Crew

Steer at a close hauled course while you prep for the hoist (hike if necessary to keep boat flat). If the crew is trapezing, the Helm pre-hoists the kite by pulling the guy back and cleating it in the guy cleat.

Maintain a flat boat either (trapezing in heavy air, sitting to windward, or to leeward if necessary). In light air, Crew pre-hoists the kite by pulling the guy back and cleating it in the guy cleat

Bear away and hike to windward if necessary to keep boat flat

Keep boat heeling to slightly windward as you bear away (if on the wire, unclip and straight arm until you can swing into cockpit)

Once sailing downwind, stand up in centre of cockpit to hoist kite, keep boat balanced for crew

Crew pushes the pole out at about a 45degree angle from the bow while holding the guy along the pole. Keep the pole pushed out as far as possible until the clew of the spinnaker has cleared the forestay.

Once kite is hoisted, grab guy and sheet to get it flying as quickly as possible

Crew brings topping lift to pole and then clips pole onto mast.

Once kite is flying, sit to leeward beside traveller bar, tiller extension in frying pan mode on deck.

Sit to windward, cleats guy and then takes the sheet from the helm

What’s the difference between a windward and leeward hoist?

Leeward Hoist

Helm bears off and hoists as crew sets pole

Helm trims sheet

Windward Hoist

Helm bears off and hoists as crew trims sheet

Helm continues trimming sheet as crew sets pole

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Reach Hoists Reach hoists follow the same steps as above, however after you have rounded the mark, the helm continues to balance

the boat and sail just low of a beat. This protects yours position by having no one sail above you and take your wind.

Once the crew has cleated the pole onto the guy and pulled the tack of the spinnaker to the pole, he is ready for the

launch. The Helm then checks there is no danger of a boat from behind to sail above you, then bears off to keep the

boat flat while hoisting the kite.

While the helm hoists, the Crew pushes the pole out at about a 45 degree angle from the bow while holding the guy

along the pole. The crew needs to keep the pole pushed out as far as possible until the clew of the spinnaker has cleared

the forestay.

-Once the spinnaker is all the way up, the Helm must grab guy and sheet to get spinnaker flying as soon as possible while

the Crew attaches the pole to the topping lift and then to the mast. Once the pole is set, the Crew cleats the guy and

then takes the sheet from the helm. Now that the kite is up, the Helm must get back onto a reach angle and sail towards

the next mark!

Troubleshooting Windward Spinnaker Hoists

Coach, I can’t do a windward hoist! I’ll run over my kite!

Common Error: Many crews will throw the kite in front of the boat because they think that this helps the helm

to hoist quickly. This seldom helps, and the result is more often that the helm runs the kite over while trying to

hoist it. The crew should instead focus on trimming the spinnaker sheet as the helm hoists the kite. Once the

kite is up, hand the spinnaker sheet to the helm and go for the pole.

Coach, when I hoist to windward the whole thing gets caught in the jib!

Common Error: This is likely because the boat is not on a dead run. For a windward hoist, the boat must be

dead down wind. The helm can also step to windward to induce a bit of windward heel, and this can help the

kite to move around the jib.

Spinnaker Gybes

Spinnaker gybes are intricate manoeuvres which require precise and delicate actions as well as coordination between

the helm and the crew. Fortunately, they lend themselves brilliantly to skill breakdown, and can be taught effectively in

small chunks. Below is an overall skill breakdown for a spinnaker gybe, but by no means does this mean that the skill

must be taught in its entirety at first. In fact, taking the time to break the skill down into smaller pieces will actually

speed up the learning process for sailors, leading to greater success, and far less frustration. Read on to see how gybes

have been broken down into the components of footwork, steering, pole work, and hand/sheeting.

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Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybe:

Footwork/Steering for Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybe

Helm Crew Pulls centreboard down a few inches

Select wave to surf, pre-gybe tiller Shift weight accordingly to induce surfing

Bear off and step across boat to new lw side, kneel on lw gunwhale facing across boat (not forward)

Remain on old windward side for a moment to induce roll

Straighten out as jib hits new side (may need to head up to keep kite full in light air)

Step to new ww side to pump boat flat and switch pole

Once crew has switched pole, sit down on lw side Sit to ww beside shroud

Raise centreboard

Pole Work for Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybe

Helm Crew Unclip pole from guy

Unclip pole from mast

Hold guy out to keep the kite flying

Overall Skill Breakdown for Spinnaker Gybes

1) Helm “ready to gybe”, cleats mainsheet in main block

2) Helm uncleats leeward jib and pulls cb down a few inches

3) Crew brings pole aft to clear kite from behind main as helm bears away

4) Crew hands guy and sheet to helm as helm bears away, then crew releases guy from guy hook. Helm continues

to pull kite around while steering through the gybe

5) Helm steps across boat (to new lw side) and kneels on gunwhale as crew gybes main using boom vang

a. Helm pre-gybes tiller extension as he/she crosses boat

b. Crew remains on new lw side of boat to induce roll

6) Helm straightens out boat and crew steps to ww side to flatten boat

7) Crew switches spin pole to new ww side

a. Pole switch as follows:

i. Unclip pole from old guy

ii. Unclip pole from mast

iii. Hold new guy outboard with hand to keep it flying

iv. Clip pole to new guy and push out

v. Clip pole to mast

8) Crew cleats new guy in guy hook

9) Crew cleats new jib sheet and both helm and crew sit

10) Helm hands guy and sheet to crew

11) Helm raises cb retrims jib and main if necessary

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Bring pole to guy and attach it

Attach pole to mast

Sheeting/Handwork for Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybe

Helm Crew Cleat main, uncleat jib Bring spin pole all the way aft so that kite is out from

behind main, release guy from guy hook

Receive spin sheets from crew Hand spin sheets to helm UNDER the mainsheet

Continue trimming pole aft with front hand, steering with aft

Gybe main using boom vang as top batten in main begins to flick

Set new guy in guy hook

Hand spin sheets to crew Cleat jib

Receive spin sheets from helm

Troubleshooting Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybes Spinnaker gybes can be the trickiest thing to learn on a double handed boat. They can also be the trickiest thing to

coach. Fortunately, there are some classic mistakes which, once detected, are easy to correct. Here is a list of common

issues that athletes have when learning to gybe the kite:

Coach, my kite collapses as I steer into the gybe!

Common Error: This is likely because the boat is not on a dead run. Make sure that the helm has steered down

to a dead run so that the kite can fly free from out behind the main.

Now my kite collapses as soon as the main is gybed!

Common Error: Check to make sure that the pole is all

the way aft heading into the gybe. If the pole is not

brought all the way back before the gybe, then the kite

will try to swing around during the gybe and then

collapse.

Common Error: If the new leech (the side still attached

to the pole) is luffing, then the helm needs to head up

a bit to fill the kite. This is especially true in light breeze where heading up will provide more pressure in the kite.

Common Error: If the new luff (the side which the pole will be switched to) is luffing out of the gybe, then the

crew needs to keep more sheet tension on the kite before passing it off to the helm.

Coach, why do I always capsize during my spinnaker gybes!?!

Common Error: Not enough speed going into the gybe. It seems counterintuitive, but the faster the boat is

moving before the gybe, the less load there is on the rig and therefore the easier the gybe (there will be

surprisingly little load on the vang). Try to get the boat surfing down a wave as you steer into the gybe. This is

all about confidence in the beginning, but it’s important to teach your athletes that gybes aren’t scary or

dangerous…they’re just technical.

The most important things when gybing are to keep the kite filled and the boat balanced and sailing fast. All skills should be taught with this in mind. Don’t hesitate into the gybe, as this causes instability!

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Common Error: If the helm forgets to bring the centreboard down a few inches going into a gybe, the boat can

wash out during the manoeuver. It will feel like the boat is being washed out from under the helm’s feet.

Common Error: Coming out of the gybe too high. The boat will load up and then capsize to leeward. Try to have

the helm straighten out once the jib switches sides.

Common Error: Leeward heel pre gybe causes over heel post gybe and this causes capsizes. The helm must work

to keep the boat flat before as well as after the gybe and move aft to keep the bow from digging into waves in

breezy conditions. The crew must try to keep as far aft as possible to keep the bow from submarining.

I can’t get my pole clipped in!

Common Problem: This actually isn’t the crew’s issue at all, but rather the helm. This is caused by the helm

either heading up before the pole is clipped onto the mast or by pulling the guy too tight before the pole is

clipped to the mast. In either case, the guy will be too loaded up and will pull the inboard end of the pole aft

making it very difficult for the crew to clip it to the mast.

Figure 3: In light air, the helm can kneel on the new leeward gunwhale to roll gybe as the main comes over

Coaching Tip:

As a coach, it’s important to

teach sailors that gybing in heavy air is not scary or dangerous…it’s

just technical.

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Gybing Knots

Gybing knots are very simple to set up, increase safety, and facilitate gybing. The most important thing is to

make sure that the spin sheets are long enough to allow the crew to be fully trapezing on a reach while holding

the sheet up by his or her chest. If the crew cannot do this, then the spin sheets need to be lengthened.

Set Up: Rig the kite and have it doused in the port side of the spinnaker bag. Have the tack of the kite just

packed into the bag so that it will not fall out or blow out while sailing. Pull the slack out of the spin sheet on

the starboard side and mark the sheet with a permanent marker just behind the block. Now change the

spinnaker sides and have it doused on the starboard. Repeat the same process for marking the sheet. Once the

sheets are marked, untie the sheets from the spinnaker and tie eight knots in the sheets behind the spin blocks.

Re-rig the spin sheets, and now you have gybing knots set up!

Safety: Gybing knots are not only fast for racing but they also provide more safety to the sailors while afloat.

The main safety factor is that they simply do not le the spinnaker fly too far away from the boat. A capsized

boat with a spinnaker in the air flying and full drags the boat away form the sailors in the water, and gybing

knots help to keep the kite closer to the boat which means that the kite itself will end up in the water, rather

than in the air, pulling the boat away from sailors. They also prevent the spinnaker sheets from wrapping

around the back of the boom because the sheets simply cannot ease to the point of wrapping around the

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Spinnaker Douse:

Footwork/Steering for Symmetrical Spinnaker Douse

Helm Crew

Centreboard down, keep boat balanced for crew Try to remain sitting as you unclip and stow pole as this reduces unnecessary movement in the boat

Heel to lw as you begin heading up (can stand) Heel to lw with helm (light air rounding)

Cross to ww side to flatten boat Flatten boat as needed for conditions

Straighten out steering at close hauled course

Pole Work for Symmetrical Spinnaker Douse

Helm Crew

Unclip spin pole from guy, then mast, then topping lift

Crew stow pole under starboard thwart

Tidy spin sheets so not dragging in water

Propulsion for Symmetrical Spinnaker Douse

Helm Crew

Trim vang, bring tiller extension to windward side of mainsheet bundle

Trim cunningham and outhaul

Receive spin sheet from crew, fly kite Pass spin sheet to helm

Uncleat spin halyard Grab tack of kite and middle to begin dousing

Douse kite using big armfuls at middle of kite, stuff head way down into spin bag

Stow spin halyard into reaching hook

Sheet in main using hand over hand sheeting Sheet in jib at same rate as mainsail

Overall Skill Breakdown for Spinnaker Douse

1) Helm puts centreboard down

Crew trims, cunningham, outhaul as needed

Helm trims vang as needed

2) Crew hands kite sheet to helm (with gybing balls, helm only needs the sheet, not the guy)

3) Helm flies kite as crew stows spin pole

a. Crew unclip pole from kite first, then mast, then topping lift

b. Crew stow pole along starboard gunwhale under thwart

4) Crew grab tack of kite and middle of kite to begin douse

a. Helm uncleat spin halyard

b. Crew stuffs kite into bag (big armfuls, should only need two or three big pulls to get kite down and stuffed well

inside bag

5) Crew stow kite halyard

6) Crew and helm trim main and jib together as helm heads up

a. Crew can help helm to roll boat to lw at this point in light air

7) Once close hauled, helm flattens boat and sits to windward. Crew balanced boat accordingly

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Troubleshooting Symmetrical Spinnaker Douses

Coach, how do you expect me to get my kite down on the windward side?

Common Error: Many sailors have been taught that they must take kite down before the pole, and then they

can’t take the kite down on the windward side because the pole is in the way. Taking the pole down first enables

sailors to keep the kite flying longer on the way into the leeward mark, and also allows for taking the kite down

at any time and on any tack.

I can’t get my kite down quickly!

Common Error: Many crews initially employ the “hamster technique”

for dousing the kite. They gather the entire foot of the kite and then

douse it using tiny hamster-like handfuls. This makes for a very slow

douse and increased likelihood of an hourglass on the next hoist

because the head of the kite twists on the way down. Instead, have the

crew grab the tack of the kite and pull at 45 degrees into the middle of

the cloth, ensuring that the head of the kite is stuffed firmly into the

bag. Use big armfuls!

Coach, I just sailed over my kite!

Common Error: This is simply a communication error between the crew

and the helm. The helm gets excited and trips the spinnaker halyard

before the crew is ready or the crew is taking too long to pack the kite

(possibly because the crew is employing the “hamster technique”). The

crew must begin the hoist by grabbing the tack of the kite and pulling

the luff taught above the spinnaker bag. Then the helm

uncleats the halyard.

Figure 4: Erik uses big armfuls to douse the kite into the bag as quickly as possible.

Coach Tip Take the pole down first to keep the kite flying as long as possible and the boat moving as quickly as possible. Big gains can be made here when racing and it’s much safer as leaving the pole up can tear the kite or hit a boat to leeward.

Crews should always douse the kite to the windward side of the boat for two reasons:

1) Crew is already sitting to windward so no weight transfer is needed

2) With the mainsail out of the way bigger armfuls can be used which makes dousing much faster!

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Trimming and Helming with the Spinnaker

The goal when trimming the kite is to keep as much power, or

pressure, in the sail as possible. The best way to do this is through

constant communication between the helm and the crew. The crew

should focus solely on trimming the kite for speed downwind. Have

the crew cleat the guy in the guy hook and then reach in front of the

guy hook with his front hand to ensure the best feel for pressure on

the guy itself. With the back hand, play the sheet and focus on trying

to keep it as eased as possible. Try to keep the luff of the kite just

curling, as this will ensure maximum power in the kite. Then the crew

must tell the helm whether the pressure in the kite is increasing or

decreasing. If the pressure in the kite is decreasing, then the helm can

head up for more pressure. Conversely, if there is good pressure in the

kite or pressure is increasing, then the helm can bear off a bit and sail a

better angle to the leeward mark. Even though the helm is steering the boat, information from the crew becomes vital

to keeping speed and VMG up on the downwind leg. Here are some other things to look for when teaching sailors how

to trim their kites:

Shoulders: Try to imagine that the kite has shoulders. This means that it should be relatively full near the head of the

kite. If you can draw a straight line from the head of the kite to the tack or clew, then the pole height is too low and it

needs to be raised. Alternatively, if the top of the kite is too full, air can spill out of the shoulders. At this point the pole

should be lowered.

Tack and Clew: Another basic guideline for spinnaker pole height is to keep the tack

and the clew of the kite at basically the same height.

Foot: Again, the goal of spinnaker trim is to keep it as full and as powered up as

possible. To do this, the crew must allow the kite to breathe. Look for the foot of

the kite to be loose and flying away from the boat. A good trick is to draw an

imaginary line from the tack to the clew of the kite; this line should be out in front of

the bow of the boat.

Tips for Coaching Downwind: Communication

Downwind speed comes from good communication between the helm

and the crew. The crew should feed the helm information about how

much pressure he or she feels in the spinnaker sheets. Then the helm can

drive to maximize both pressure and velocity made good. Head up when

pressure is light, and bear off when pressure is good!

Figure 5: The helm sits to leeward and trims the main using the mainsheet at boom level

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Reaching with the Kite Reaching with the kite is one of the most exhilarating experiences for both novice and experienced sailors. In good

breeze boat is planing, the crew is trapezing, and there are great opportunities for surfing and manoeuvring in and

around other boats at high speed while racing. Because of the fast paced nature of reaching, it’s of course all about feel

and balance. The team must work together to keep the boat flat and keep sails trimmed to balance power and speed.

Below are some tips for creating that ideal balance while reaching, and for enjoying the reach leg on any race course.

Crew

The crew’s role is to balance windward and leeward heel, forward and aft balance in the boat, and trim the kite. It is also

important for the crew to watch for incoming puffs by looking over his forward shoulder.

On a tight reach the pole should be 2 inches off the forestay, and it can be pulled back progressively as the reach

becomes deeper. The kite should be trimmed with 3-6 inches of curl on the luff.

When the crew is not on the trapeze, he or she should be sitting forward in the boat. When just trapezing, the crew

should have his or her front foot up against the chain plate to keep weight as far forward as possible. As the breeze

increases and the boat starts to plane, the crew needs to move further and further aft to get the bow out of the water.

In heavy air, the crew can be trapezing just aft of the traveler bar. In gusty conditions, the crew should be moving

forward and back on the gunwhale to keep the boat in balance.

Helm

The Helm’s role is facilitate the balance for the crew, watch the boats in front and behind, communicate to the crew

what he or she intends to do in terms of steering, balance the boat with the mainsail, fine trim the jib, and control the

height of the centreboard. Depending on the wind, the helm will sit on the leeward side of the boat, to the bottom of

the boat on the windward side, to full hike on the weather side. The helm controls the heel of the boat with the mainsail

to keep the boat either flat or up to 5o of leeward heel.

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How a Sail Works: Trimming for Speed

The object of this manual is to teach your athletes how to sail their boats effectively. In this section, we will discuss the

mainsail, jib, and spinnaker, how they work, and how to trim them effectively. The goal here is to understand what to

do in order to achieve maximum boat speed. First, however, we need to understand the concept of how a sail works. In

the following pages, we’ll look at the foil which is your sail. Then we’ll discover how your sail and the other foils on your

boat, the centreboard and the rudder, work together to create forward motion. Once we understand how the mainsail

works, we can begin to explore how the jib contributes to the overall effectiveness of the sail plan.

Basic Sail Theory There are many manuals dedicated to sail theory, and it is an intricate and very complex subject. We will only touch on

The most basic concepts of sail theory here, but it’s important to understand the basics of how wind flowing over sails

creates forward motion.

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Mainsail Trim and Controls

Mainsheet and Bridle Tension

Mainsheet tension is your primary tool for controlling the leech profile of your mainsail and keeping that all important

telltale flying nicely. Provided that your boom vang is eased, easing mainsheet will open up your leech and allow it to

twist off. Conversely, trimming your main will close your leech. . Why does the mainsheet do this? The mainsheet pulls

the main in and out but it also pulls the boom down once you are sheeting in all the way, and pulling the boom down

closes the leech of the main. Imagine the bridle was as tight as possible and the main was all the way out. As you trim

the mainsheet, the mainsail will move towards the center of the boat parallel to the water. However, at a certain point,

you will see the boom start to move down toward the bridle block, and close the leech of the mainsail as it continues to

move towards the center of the boat. The reverse of this would be the bridle all the way up. As you pull the mainsheet,

the mainsail will move parallel to the water but will never get pulled down since the block on the bridle is too high to

pull the boom down, leaving the leech of the mainsail open. So think of the mainsheet as pulling the main in and out

while the bridle height will affect the mainsheet tension on the mainsail leech.

This is important to remember as you move through the gears from light wind to heavy wind, and accommodate for flat

or choppy conditions. To ensure that the main is trimmed correctly, attach the telltale to the leech of the main, just

below the top batten. When sailing, keep the telltale flying straight back 1/2 to 2/3 of the time, and stalling behind the

sail 1/2 to 1/3 of the time. In light air, this will likely mean that the main must be slightly eased. In order to maintain

pointing ability upwind, however, the boom must be centrelined over the transom of the boat. This can be

accomplished by either trimming the traveller to windward (on a boat with a mainsheet traveller car), or by raising the

bridle height (as in a Club 420 or 29er).

General rule of thumb for mainsheet tension upwind:

Ligh

t A

ir (

Un

der

po

wer

ed) •Mainsheet slightly eased

to keep telltales flowing ½ of the time

•Boom on centreline (traveller to windward or bridle height raised).

Med

ium

Air

(fu

lly p

ow

ered

) •Mainsheet is trimmed in all the way, and boom is on centreline.

•Adjust the traveller so that the boom is on centreline when the main is trimmed all the way in. If using a bridle, lower the bridle height until the leech telltale is stalling 1/3 of the time when the main is block to block.

•Trim any slack out of the vang.

Hea

vy A

ir (

ove

rpo

wer

ed) •Athletes will be looking

to shed power at this point. Mainsheet should be constantly played to keep the boat flat and moving fast.

•Trim the traveller so that the boom is centrelined during lulls. If using a bridle, set the height so that when the main is trimmed in all the way the leech telltale is stalling 1/3 of the time.

•Trim the vang so that when the mainsheet is eased during the puffs the boom moves sideways instead of up.

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Boom Vang

The vang is another important tool for controlling the leech profile of the mainsail. If the vang is not tight enough, then

the boom will lift up during the puffs and open the leech of the main. This actually causes the boat to become

overpowered as the main is initially eased. As a coach, you can identify this by watching the boom from behind in the

coach boat. Your sailors will also appear to be unbalanced in the boat, and it will actually heel more as the main is

initially eased during the puffs because it becomes fuller as it’s initially eased. Once eased, a sail with under trimmed

vang will then immediately cause windward heel, because there is no power in the leech of the sail. To trim vang

effectively, trim it to the point where the boom goes sideways when the main is eased, rather than up. This method of

sheeting is called vang sheeting. Effective vang sheeting means that the main depowers when the sail is eased because

the leech profile maintains stability, rather than powering up as the main is eased because the leech becomes unstable

as the boom lifts up.

Cunningham

Cunningham can help to depower your sail by helping to move the draft

forward and by controlling the leech of the sail. Trimming the cunningham

tight bends the top of the mast and this moves the draft of your sail forward,

and this in turn helps to counteract weather helm. Once the draft of your sail

has been moved as far forward as possible, trimming the cunningham tighter

will then open up the top of your leech and spill air from the top of your sail.

Trimming the cunningham is an effective way to depower the boat in heavy air

and should be used once the sailor is already vang sheeting.

Outhaul

Outhaul trim sets up the overall depth of the sail down low. By trimming the

outhaul, sailors flatten out the sail, and by easing the outhaul, sailors allow

more depth or draft down low. Trimming the outhaul and reducing draft in

the main increases pointing ability because it changes the angle of attack at

the entry point of the mainsail. The angle of the main is essentially flatter at

the entry point because the sail is pulled taught, thus the wind does not need

to bend around the sail and it enables pointing on a close hauled course.

However, as the outhaul is trimmed in, the sail loses power. The flatter a sail

becomes, the less power it has and so balancing power and pointing become

important in different conditions.

Rule of Thumb when

Trimming Outhaul

Drifter Conditions: Sail should be flat so trim outhaul. Underpowered: Here power is important and outhaul can be eased. Balance between power and pointing is important here. Full Power in Waves: Maintain power in the bottom of the sail by keeping outhaul slightly eased. Spill excess power off of the leech if needed. Overpowered in Flat Water: Trim outhaul to reduce power in flat water. Overpowered in Waves: Keep outhaul slightly eased to power through waves, spill excess power from the leech by easing the vang or trimming Cunningham.

Vang Sheeting Vang sheeting is the term used to describe the relationship of the vang and the mainsheet so that leech profile is maintained during puffs and lulls. When vang sheeting, the leech profile is set up using the mainsheet and bridle height. Then, any slack in the vang is removed so that the boom travels outboard rather than up during puffs, which causes leech twist. Vang sheeting keeps the boom easing outwards instead of upwards during puffs.

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For example, in situations where pointing is not critical, as in sailing downwind, the outhaul can be eased to increase

power in the main. Wavy conditions also require increased power, even when sailing upwind, and so the outhaul can be

eased a little in order to maintain power through chop or waves. See the sidebar for some general guidelines for

trimming the outhaul, although sailors should try to develop their own feel for outhaul trim while sailing.

Mainsail Trimming Guide

Drifter Conditons

Crew: Sitting to leeward

Mainsheet: Eased to keep telltales flowing 1/2 of time

Tensioned in small puffs, eased in lulls

Bridle: High enough to allow tell tales to flow 1/2 of time when main is block to block

Traveller: Boom on centreline

Vang: Eased

Cunningham: Eased

Outhaul: Trimmed for a flat sail

Underpowered Conditions

Crew: Sitting to weather until fully trapezing and helm fully hiking

Mainsheet: Trimmed block to block, eased in lulls/chop/ downspeed moments

Bridle: Lowered to keep telltales stalled 1/3 of time when main block to block

Traveller: Boom on centreline (slightly lower)

Vang: Tightened to maintain leech profile when mainsheet eased in puffs

Cunningham: Eased

Outhaul: Trimmed for wave conditions

Full Power Conditons

Crew: Fully trapezing and helm fully hiking

Mainsheet: Block to block in lulls and eased to corner

of transome in puffs

Bridle: Lowered to keep telltales stalled 1/3 of time when block to block

Traveller: Boom on centreline when block to block

Vang: Trimmed to maintain leech profile when mainsheet eased in puffs

Cunningham: Eased

Outhaul: Eased in waves but trimmed to reduce

power as in flat water

Overpowered Conditions:

Crew: Fully trapezing and helm fully hiking

Mainsheet: Consistently eased beyond corner of transome

Bridle: Lowered to keep telltales stalled 1/3 of time when block to block

Traveller: Boom on centreline when block to block

Vang: Eased as needed to spill power from leech

Cunningham: Trimmed as needed to spill power from leech

Outhaul: Trimmed to depower main, in waves keep slighly eased to maintain power in lower part of sail

Rule of Thumb for Mainsail Trim

(but don't take our word for it...go find out for yourself!)

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The Jib We’ve looked at the mainsail in terms of sail theory and how to apply this theory on the water. Now let’s add in the jib.

The important thing to emphasize with athletes is that the jib does much more than just increase sail area. The jib

actually creates a system which works far more efficiently than if we simply increased the size of the mainsail. Let’s take

a look at how the presence of the jib affects the sail plan as a whole.

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Although the jib is much smaller than the main, it plays a vital role in affecting

the trim of the main and the overall sail plan. In fact, the jib actually makes

the mainsail itself much more efficient. How does it do this? We know that

forces in the mainsail are created due to high pressure forces on the

windward side pushing toward low pressure forces on the leeward side of the

main. The same is true for the jib. However, if we look at the jib and the main

together, we see that the high pressure forces on the windward side of the jib

also flow towards the low pressure forces on the leeward side of the main.

Air flowing from the windward side of the jib through to the leeward side of

the main travels through an area that we call the slot, and actually accelerates

the air moving across the leeward side of the main. But, wait! Wasn’t the air

moving around the leeward side of the main already moving quickly? Isn’t

that what creates a low pressure system on the leeward side of the main? Yes,

that’s true…and the jib just speeds up that leeward air, making an even lower

pressure system, and making the mainsail work even better!

Trimming the Jib Jibs are much like mainsails in terms of the need to balance jib sheet trim with

jib leech trim. If the jib leech is too open, then the leech will twist, spilling air

off of the jib. The result will be that the slot becomes ineffective, as that

important air from the windward side of the jib can’t accelerate and reach the

leeward side of the mainsail. The sails won’t work together, and the boat

won’t point as high when beating to windward.

If the jib leech is too closed, it will hook, and turbulent air will flow off of the

jib, straight into the leeward side of the mainsail luff. If this happens, air that

would otherwise flow around the leeward side of the main will be disrupted,

and won’t be able to accelerate around the leeward side of the main to create

power in the sail. At this point, there will be a bubble in the luff of the

mainsail as it backwinds from the turbulent air coming off of the jib and the

entire sail plan will stall. The jib telltale will also stall behind the jib leech.

Reading the Jib

We know that it’s important to

have the leech of the jib

matching the leech of the main,

but how can we tell if the jib

leech itself is trimmed correctly?

The goal when trimming the jib is

to have both the top and bottom

set of telltales flying evenly.

When pinching, both the top and

bottom windward telltales

should lift or break

simultaneously. If the top

telltale breaks before the bottom

telltale, then this means the top

of the jib is more open than the

bottom. Conversely, if the

bottom windward telltale breaks

before the top, then this means

that the bottom of the sail is

more open than the top, or that

the leech is too closed. In either

case, the jib must be re-trimmed

to enable top and bottom

ticklers to break evenly.

Rule of thumb:

Top Telltale Breaks First: Jib

leech is too open and twisted. Fix

this by moving jib cars forward to

close the leech.

Bottom Telltale Breaks First: Jib

leech is too closed, fix this by

moving jib cars aft to open the

leech.

Figure 6: The jib and mainsail leeches should match

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Windward Sheeting and Barber Hauling

In boats such as the Club 420, it’s not possible to

adjust jib trim using jib cars. The boats simply do not

have any method of jib car adjustment as there is no

rigging for it. In this case, the jib leech can be closed

up by setting the overall jib trim using the bottom set

of telltales, but then also trimming the windward jib

sheet a little. By windward sheeting, or barber

hauling, the bottom portion of the jib leech is pulled

to windward. This closes the leech of the jib, which in

turn closes the slot between the jib and the main.

The top of the jib leech, however, will remain open, as

barber hauling has little effect on the upper portion of

the jib leech. The overall shape of the jib will be a slightly open upper leech, but tighter on the lower portion of the

leech and tighter on the whole.

Coaching Tip

It can be difficult for sailors to visualize the effect that jib car position has on jib trim. To help sailors visualize this, draw an imaginary line from the jib sheet up through the corner where it attaches to the jib. This way, sailors can see the angle at which the jib sheets are actually pulling on the jib and how it affects overall trim.

Whose Telltales are Whose? Helm: When sailing upwind, the helm uses the bottom jib luff telltales to drive. The crew trims the jib, and then the helm can focus on these telltales to balance pointing and power on the beat. Crew: The crew trims jib by looking at the telltales placed on the luff of the jib in the top 1/3 of the sail. The crew strives to have the top jib telltales breaking in unison with the bottom jib telltales. If they don’t break at the same time, then the jib leech must be re-trimmed.

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Jib Cunningham

The jib Cunningham is another tool which we can use to control the leech profile of the jib, and thus the sail plan as a

whole. It works the same way as the mainsail Cunningham, and has the same application. Trimming the jib Cunningham

will pull tension downward along the luff and move the draft of the jib forward. As the draft of the jib moves forward,

the angle of entry on the jib luff becomes deeper, and the wind must bend more to flow around the jib. Then, because

all of that sail cloth has been pulled forward, the leech of the jib opens and we can essentially spill air off of the jib and

out of the slot. At this point, we’re depowering the jib, which in turn depowers the sail plan. This is a relatively fine

adjustment to the jib leech, however, and if the boat is really overpowered it may be time to use more coarse

adjustments, such as moving the jib cars aft to open the leech or even easing the jib in puffs.

Jib Halyard Tension

Jib halyard actually has the opposite effect on the jib leech from the jib Cunningham. As the halyard pulls up on the

head of the jib, it actually pulls the top of the sail vertically upwards from the foot. In doing so, the leech of the jib is

pulled tighter and therefore closes. The result is that the luff of the sail will be tightened, and have a greater angle of

attack, but this time with a tighter leech. Jib halyard tension is important in breeze in order to maintain the profile of

the jib leech. Then, we can use the jib Cunningham, jib cars, and jib trim to shed excess power when necessary.

Club 420: Because the tack of the Club 420 jib is lashed in place, jib halyard tension works the same way

as the jib Cunningham.

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. Balancing the Boat: Centre of Effort and Centre of Lateral Resistance

It has often been said that a well balanced boat sails itself. But what does this actually mean? This means that forces

created by the sails (effort), and forces created by the foils (lateral resistance) are balanced and in line with each other.

When this happens, sailors will experience neutral helm, and can virtually let go of the tiller while maintaining a straight

course with the boat. Boats are at their most efficient and their fastest when these forces are aligned. When they are

not aligned, the helm can feel it almost immediately because the tiller will feel heavy, and the boat will either want to

head up or bear off. Right, so we know how the boat should feel, now let’s discuss what causes the boat to be balanced

or unbalanced.

Centre of Effort Centre of effort, or CE, can be described as the focus point of all the forces that sails exert on the boat. Anywhere where

the wind flows across sails there is force created on the sails, but the Centre of Effort is the overall position of the

sideways forces on the sail, the forces which cause leeway.

Where is the centre of effort?

Most boats are designed so that the centre of effort is slightly aft of mainsail luff on a properly trimmed sail

plan. It’s usually just above and slightly aft of the centreboard bolt or dagger board. It can be shifted around,

though, by shifting the draft of the sails or by easing one sail to relocate the focus point of the sail forces in the

sail plan.

Neutral Helm

The tendency for a

sailboat to sail straight

and balanced

Cause: Centre of

effort is directly over

centre of lateral

resistance

Lee Helm

The tendency for a sailboat to want to bear off

Cause: Centre of effort is forward of centre of lateral resistance

Weather Helm

The tendencey for a sailboat to want to head up

Cause: Centre of effort is aft of centre of lateral resistance

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Tools for shifting centre of effort:

Sail Trim: Sail trim is the most obvious way to affect centre of effort. By reducing the effectiveness of one sail,

the overall centre of effort moves towards the area where sail forces are actually being generated. For example,

if the mainsail were eased, then the sail forces are being created predominantly by the jib and thus the centre of

effort moves forward. On the other hand, easing the jib means that sail forces are predominantly created by the

main and so the centre of effort moves aft.

Rake: By changing the mast rake, the entire sail plan can be moved forward or aft, and this can have a dramatic

effect on the position the centre of effort. Raking the mast aft will naturally move the sail plan aft, and this in

turn moves the centre of effort aft. Raking the mast forward, or upright, will move the sail plan forward and

therefore move the centre of effort forward.

Vang : When the vang is eased and power is allowed to spill off of the leech of the main, this reduces the overall

power in the top and aft portion of the sail. The resultant power is near the bottom and the luff of the main.

So, if we ease the vang to induce twist in the main, the centre of effort moves down and forward in the mainsail.

Conversely, if the vang is trimmed to close the leech of the main, then the mainsail retains power both aft and

aloft, and thus the centre of effort remains aft and high.

Cunningham: As the Cunningham is trimmed, two things happen which affect the location of the centre of effort

in the sail plan. First, as sail cloth is pulled down toward the tack of the sail, the draft in the sail moves down

and forward. This moves the centre of effort forward in the sail. Second, as fabric is pull down and forward, it

opens the leech of the main. This has a similar effect as easing the vang, as it allows power to spill off of the top

and aft portion of the main. The overall effect of trimming the Cunningham then, is that the centre of effort

moves down and forward in the sail plan.

Centre of Lateral Resistance Centre of Lateral Resistance, or CLR, is the focus point of forces which counteract leeway in a sailboat. These forces are

created by foils, like the centreboard or rudder. They are also affected by crew weight placement. In the same way

that Centre of Effort is comprised of sail forces all over the rig, CLR is comprised of lateral resistance forces all over the

bottom of the boat. It’s simply the focus point of these forces.

Where is the centre of lateral resistance?

Most boats are designed so that the CLR is slightly aft of the centreboard bolt on a properly trimmed boat. It sits

directly below the centre of effort, which is aft of the mainsail luff. It can, however, be shifted by pivoting the

centreboard aft or shifting crew weight.

Tools for shifting centre of lateral resistance:

Centreboard Trim: Centreboard trim is the easiest way to use foils to shift lateral resistance forces in the boat.

By raising the centreboard, the board actually pivots aft. Pivoting the centreboard aft then shifts lateral

resistance forces aft, and therefore shifts the entire CLR aft.

Crew Weight Placement: Where the helm and crew sit also has a major effect on the position of the CLR. This is

because weight placement affects the location of most drag in the water. For example, if the crew and the helm

were to move aft, then there would be more drag further aft in the boat. This would mean that the centre of

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lateral resistance has moved aft. Conversely, by moving forward, the crew and helm move the centre of lateral

resistance forward because they are relocating the area of most drag.

Heel and Helm

Boats achieve their best balance when sailed flat. Even in heavy wind, a boat that is sailed flat, particularly on the beat,

will experience much less weather helm than a boat which is allowed to heel. This is particularly true of boats such as

the Club 420, which is a challenging boat to balance even when sailed flat. But why is this? If we consider all of the tools

above which we can use to align the centre of effort and the centre of

lateral resistance, and we employ them while on the water, we still

experience weather helm on the beat!

In order to understand how boat balance relates to heel, we must

remember that the centre of effort moves shifts not only fore and aft,

but to windward and leeward as well. For example, on a perfectly flat

boat which is sailing properly, the forces created by the mainsail, and

consequently the centre of effort, sit directly above and slightly behind

the centreboard bolt. However, once the boat is heeled to leeward,

the sail plan actually sits to leeward of the centreboard, which is canted

to windward. This creates a situation where the centre of effort is

actually pushing the bow to windward. To help picture this

phenomenon, think of a canoe. The paddler sitting in the stern of the

canoe is the centreboard, and the paddle is the sail plan in a dinghy. If

we want the canoe to steer to port, we paddle on the starboard side.

The power of the paddle is the engine which propels the canoe, and

positioning the source of power to one side of the canoe forces the

canoe to be unbalanced and move towards the opposite direction. Substitute that paddle for a sail plan, and you get the

same result. The source of power, in this case, the sails, are to leeward of the centreboard. Now the boat is

unbalanced, and so the power in the sails will want to push the bow to windward, and this will load up the rudder and

tiller as the helm tries to keep the boat sailing straight. The boat is now experiencing weather helm. How do sailors fix

this? Instead of dragging the tiller over to windward to counteract weather helm, both the helm and the crew should

focus on flattening out the boat so that the sails are directly over the foils and the boat is re-balanced. Easing sails,

depowering, hiking, and trapezing are the most effective way to accomplish this.

Tip for coaching rudderless sailing and boat balance:

The reason why sailors need to learn about rudderless sailing is to emphasize how important it is to maintain a balanced boat. From working on weight placement, to coordinating main and jib trim, to developing effective communication, this drill helps sailors to develop the feel for a balanced an unbalanced boat. As a result, they will be more sensitive to boat balance once the rudder is back on.

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Tuning a Double Handed Dinghy Throughout this manual, we will assume that you are tuning a Club 420, although the skills are transferable to other

boat including the 29er. We’ll start by explaining the different aspects of tuning, why they are important, and how you

go about measuring and adjusting them. Tuning may seem boring, complicated, and trivial, but a well tuned dinghy sails

higher and faster than one which is out of range in its tuning. Just try lining up a boat that you’ve tuned next to another

boat which hasn’t been tuned and you’ll see that your efforts spent tuning will pay off every time.

Aspects of Tuning

Mast Heel Position

Figure 7: This Club 420 mast is sitting in the correct spot in its mast step

Mast Heel Position refers to where your mast butt is sitting in the bottom of your boat. If you look at the mast step of a

Club 420 or a 470, you’ll see that there are slightly different spots in which you can set your mast. They’re usually only a

centimetre or two in variance, but they can make a real difference in the setup of your rig. If you think of your mast as

having a pivot point at the partners, one cm of change at the base of your mast translates into a significant change in

rake at the top of your mast. In racing you can use this to your advantage by making sure that your mast butt is set up in

the right spot for given conditions; if fact, this is exactly how Opti sailors set up their rake! For example, if you push your

mast butt aft, the top of your mast will swing forward, meaning that your mast is slightly further upright. This is valuable

in light air, especially in flat conditions. In heavier conditions, mast butt forward helps to rake your mast aft. You can

change your mast rake using shrouds as well, but this also affects the bend in your mast. We’ll discuss this more later.

For now, let’s just focus on setting your mast up in one spot, the correct spot for most conditions.

Measuring Mast Heel Position:

Method 1: Run a tape measure from the back edge of your mast along the bottom of your cockpit to the transom

of your boat. Keep the end of the tape (the “0”) at your mast and try to keep the tape as straight as

possible. The reading that you get where your tape measure touches the wall of your transom is your

mast butt position.

Method 2: Run a tape measure from the back edge of your mast to the aft edge of your centreboard bolt. Again,

keep the “0” end of your tape measure at the mast and keep the tape as straight as possible. The

reading at the centreboard bolt will be your mast butt reading.

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Mast Heel Positions:

**Club 420: 9’ 4 ½” from the transom to the mast butt. This will likely place your mast in the first pin hole from the

front on the mast step (North Sails Tuning Guide)

Mast Rake

Mast rake refers to the distance from the top of your mast to the transom of your boat. It’s an important measurement

because it affects your rig in a number of ways. First, it affects your boat’s power and pointing ability. For example, in

lighter air we tend to rake our masts upright. This keeps our sails full because the mast is straight, and this gives your

sails power. As we begin to be overpowered, we can rake our masts aft and flatten out our sails, open our leeches, and

shed power in the rig. Why does raking your mast aft flatten your sail? We usually use our shrouds to rake the mast aft,

and we pull shrouds down into their chain plates to “pin down.” As we pull on the shrouds, we’re actually pulling on the

top of the mast, which bends the mast as it pulls the mast aft. A mast with more bend in it will have flatter sails, and

flatter sails depower your rig.

Your next questions then, is probably why raking your mast aft opens your jib leech. Well, if you think of your mast as

having a pivot at the partners, and your mast is fully upright, then the top of your mast is as high and as far away from

the transom as it can possibly be. The same is true for the top of your jib – it’s as high and as far away from your jib

fairlead as it can possibly be. If you rake your mast aft, then you’re actually decreasing the distance from the head of

your jib to the jib fairlead. By decreasing the distance from the head of your jib to the jib fairlead, you actually open up

the leech of your jib. Opening the leech of your jib can help you to depower your rig in heavy air by allowing the jib

leech to twist off. However, if your mast is raked too far aft for the given conditions, your jib leech will be too open.

You’ll lose too much wind through the slot between your jib and main and this will affect your boat’s ability to point.

Mast rake also affects the balance of your boat. If your mast is fully upright, then the rig is further forward in your boat.

This means that your sails, and therefore your centre of effort are further forward in the boat. As you rake your mast

aft, you pivot the centre of effort aft as well. It’s important to tune your mast according to its tuning guide so that your

boat is as balanced as possible and you don’t experience weather helm or lee helm. A mast that’s raked too far aft will

contribute to weather helm unless you compensate for it.

Measuring Mast Rake

The easiest way to measure mast rake is to tie a tape measure to your main halyard and then hoist it to the top of the

mast. Pull the tape measure just taught and run it to the centre of the top of your transom. The distance between the

top of your mast and the centre of the top of your transom will be your mast rake measurement.

Mast Rake Measurement

Club 420:

0-4 Knots 5-8 Knots 9-11 Knots 12-14 Knots 15-18 Knots 19+ Knots

20’3” 20’ 4” 20’4” 20’2” 19’11” 19’10”

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Rig Tension

Rig tension refers to how tight your shrouds and forestay are. Rig tension is achieved via the jib halyard on a 420, the

tighter you pull your jib halyard, the more rig tension you will achieve. Tension is important for more reasons than

simply keeping your rig from flopping around in waves. It helps to create pre-bend in your mast, which in turn controls

the depth in your sail as well as the angle of entry. As you pull on rig tension, you pull the mast forward. However, the

shrouds are pulling your mast aft. The result is a mast which is bent, rather than straight, and this bend is your pre-

bend. The more bend in your mast, the flatter your sail and the more open your leeches become. Your sail is flat

because the bend in the mast mimics the bend that your sail maker built into the sail. Leeches open because you

decrease the distance from your mast tip to your boom, just like when you raked your mast aft and twisted your jib

leech. Your sail maker will have determined an ideal pre-bend measurement for your rig and sails, and it will relate to

the tension in your rig.

Rig tension can also control the entry angle to your jib by pulling the luff of your jib tighter. A rig with more tension will

have a wider entry angle and therefore a deeper luff. A rig with too much tension can suffer from reduced pointing

because the entry angle is too wide and the luff is too deep.

Measuring Rig Tension

Rig tension is measured using a tension gauge on the shrouds and/or forestay. There are different types of tension

gauges, but the two most common gauges are the Model A Loose Gauge and the PT-1 or PT-1m. In both cases, these

gauges measure the tension of your rig in terms of pounds, and give corresponding numbers for given shroud and

forestay diameters. When you tune your rig and have achieved your desired mast heel position, rake, tension, and pre-

bend, make a mark on your mast (ie. Mark the height of the jib halyard purchase block where it sits against your mast)

so that you can easily repeat your tension setting each day or return to your tension setting should you need to change

anything on the water.

Rig Tension Measurement

Club 420: Measurement taken from Shrouds

0-4 Knots 5-8 Knots 9-11 Knots 12-14 Knots 15-18 Knots 19+ Knots

100 lbs 140 lbs 200 lbs 230 lbs 300 lbs 330 lbs

Pre-Bend

We’ve discussed that pre-bend affects your sail by controlling its draft. A straighter mast will have less pre-bend and

have a fuller sail. This is due to the way in which sails are cut. If you lay a mainsail on the ground, you’ll see that the luff

of the sail is curved but the sail lies flat on the ground (likewise, if your mast is bent, your sail will sit flatter as it does

when lying on the ground). If you straighten your mast, then the luff of your sail is pulled straight and this creates shape

and depth in your sail. Therefore, if you want a deeper and more powerful sail, you want to reduce your pre-bend. As

the breeze picks up and you become overpowered, you can increase your pre-bend to flatten out your sail.

Pre-bend also affects leech profiles in your sail. A straight mast will have a tighter leech because as the luff of your sail is

pulled straight, it essentially pulls the leech tight by pulling the head of the sail away from the clew. A straight mast will

also create more leech return because of added depth to the luff (which we discussed above). With an overly straight

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mast, you’ll end up with a sail that’s too deep and with a hooked leech. However, as you bend your mast, you allow for

more leech twist because you decrease the distance between the head of your sail and the clew. This can be useful for

allowing breeze to fall off out of the head of your sail. If you want to counteract leech twist without changing your pre-

bend, you can use your vang and mainsheet tension to tighten up your leech.

What does this mean for a 29er or 420? Your pre-bend is achieved through setting up your rake using chainplates, and

then tensioning your rig accordingly. Once you’ve got these two settings sorted then your pre-bend is set. However, on

more technical boats such as a i420, 470 or 505, you can further adjust your pre-bend by adjusting your spreader

deflection, or the fore and aft angle of your spreaders. We won’t get into this now, although it’s important to

understand the concept of pre-bend and its effect on your rig.

Measuring Pre-Bend

Once you’ve achieved your target rake and rig tension, and while your rig is under tension, pull your main halyard

straight down so that it’s touching the back edge of your mast (the mast track) at gooseneck height. Then your sailing

partner climbs up onto the deck of the boat and measures the distance from your mast track to the main halyard. This

measurement should be taken at spreader height. The distance from your mast track to the main halyard at spreader

height is your pre-bend.

On Water Rig Changes

Often when we go sailing, the conditions that we encounter out on the water change and differ from the conditions

when we set up our boat for the day. In order to accommodate for changes in wind strength or sea state, we can pin up

or pin down on the water. This means that we’re changing our rake and rig tension on the water so that we’re always

set up for optimal sailing. There are two important factors to consider before teaching your athletes how to pin up and

down on the water. First, it’s important not to get too caught up in your pin settings. Valuable training time is often

wasted by sailors who have just learned how to change their rig settings on the water, as they spend time making finicky

adjustments rather than focusing on just going sailing and having a productive training day. Second, it’s important to

know all of your pin settings before you go out, so that you know exactly which changes you’d like to make on the water.

You can make a chart and laminate it to keep in the boat, and this can make life easier for you when it comes time to

making a rig change on the water.

How to Make an on Water Rig Change

1. Be sure to have sailed into clear water away from other boats 2. Crew release jib halyard tension, keep jib out of water 3. Helm keeps boat moving forward slowly and controls heel of boat with main sheet (if mast is bouncing around

due to wind and waves, Helm holds windward trapeze handle and pull back on it. Helm can also try pulling on the vang hard to help Crew get shroud into pin hole)

4. Crew to leeward, pulls out pin and places in new pin hole 5. Tack over and repeat on new leeward side 6. Pull jib halyard back up. To achieve proper tension, Crew places feet on mast and pushes forward while pulling

on the jib halyard.

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Go Fast Tips for Race Coaches Below you’ll find some useful tips for coaching Club 420’s at the race team level. These are useful tips and tricks to help

you and your athletes get the most out of their boats around the race course. Try these tips out and see how your

athletes do, and remember that each coach and team develops is own style of sailing.

Club 420 Body Placement: The club 420 is a modification of the I420 in the sense that it was developed to be a more learn to sail friendly boat. The

modifications were made so that the boat can take a beating in club programs and not require too much upkeep. The

mast is a lot more solid and sturdy with fixed spreaders; the hull can resist impacts (for the most part); and the layout is

simpler. The Club 420 also includes hiking straps for the crew because it’s used in Collegiate style racing, where the

trapeze is not allowed. In the Club 420 circuit, the use of trapeze is permitted, is much more effective, and all the top

teams will use the trapeze as soon as possible. When racing or sailing with trapeze, it is a good idea to unscrew the

hiking straps on the crew side and tape them underneath the helm’s hiking straps. You need them in the boat under

class rules, but it does not state where they need to be. Removing them for the crew gives more space for the crew’s

feet when wire to wire tacking - otherwise there is a high chance of tripping in the boat. Trapezing is not a cause for

poor pointing ability but rather poor trapezing technique (letting the boat fall to windward by not anticipating the lull,

and letting the boat heel to leeward by not anticipating the gust) will result in the boat loosing pointing ability. Thus is it

is paramount that the athlete learns to read the wind in order to anticipate the changes needed in their weight

placement.

Club 420 Bridle Setup There are many different set ups for the club 420 bridle. Some of the boats come with a block attached at the center of

the traveler bar. Unfortunately, these won’t allow the boat to point to its full potential. You can either purchase the

adjustable bridles or make your own. Some boats come supplied with an adjustable bridle, however, some of these

won’t be able to get long enough in light air. The most important thing about the bridle is that it is easily adjustable on

the water and that you can reach the full range needed for very light air to heavy air sailing. Knowing the height at which

to set the bridle can seem a little tricky, however remembering a few simple rules can really help. The very basics

Light wind: all the way up

Medium wind: A few inches down from the Light wind setting

Heavy wind: A few inches further down from your medium setting.

By following those basic rules, you will be within the ballpark of where it needs to be. To get a little more complicated,

you are trying to balance bridal height, mainsheet tension, boom vang, and top batten tension.

Top Batten Tension: This is simple. In light air keep very minimal tension the batten, as the wind increases add more

tension to give more shape to the top of the main. Also adding more tension allows the main to hold its shape since the

wind will be forcing the leech open.

Understanding how all these adjustments work together is key to perfecting the setup of the Bridle Height. When the

boat is not planning, It is very important that the boom, when sheeted in all the way while on a beat, is at the center line

of the boat. The skipper or crew can easily see this by looking down the boom towards the stern. Once the boat is

planning, the boom will need to be sheeted in and out to keep the boat balanced with the puffs and lulls. The boom

should stay within the inner and out edge of the tanks.

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Trouble shooting while racing:

Bridle too high for the increase in wind and can’t close mainsail leech with mainsheet tighten up the vang

Bridle too low for the decrease in wind release some vang

Club 420 Tuning Guide

Submitted by Oliver Bone, Nova Scotia

condition rake

side

tension* Pin #

Super Light 20'7"-20’8” 25-27

Light 20'7" 26-27

Medium 20'6" 27-29

Heavy 20'5" 30

Super

Heavy 20'3" 30

The ‘Pin #’ column has been left blank on this form for the reason that the shroud length from boat to boat could be

different. Therefore it is left blank and to be filled in for each boat.

The shroud plates that should be used are from Ronstan with quick pin adjustments and not a pin and split ring. It is

paramount that the sailors are able to change their pin settings on the water.

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Conclusion

Throughout this document we’ve covered aspects such as teamwork and communication, boat handling, double handed

sail trim, and double handed tuning. With skills in each of these areas, you as a coach can now go out and put this

information into practise. In order to really reach your athletes, go out and explain these things in a practical setting.

Play with manoeuvres on the water and play with tuning and sail trim in an on water racing context; it’s much more fun

than covering this material on land in front of a whiteboard!

Have fun coaching the material in this resource book. But remember that the key success factor for a double handed

team is teamwork and communication. Years of training cannot compensate for a team which values respect and

cooperation and you as a coach can make a real difference in how your athletes perceive the value of teamwork and

communication.

As a coach, you can continue to deliver for your athletes by going out and pushing your own knowledge. This resource is

just a tiny sampling of the body of knowledge that exists about sailing today. Ask other coaches for their opinions,

bounce ideas off of each other, go to an event that’s out of your area or your class to see how other sailors are sailing.

The more that you know and the more that you push yourself, the more knowledge you’ll be able to pass on to your

athletes, and this makes you a really valuable coach. Challenge the ideas that we’ve set out here and learn as much as

you can!