After the crew have announced they are ready, the driver calls out, “Tacking!” to announce the beginning of the tack. The driver then starts to turn the sailboat through the No-Sail (No-Go) Zone (tiller toward boom). As the sailboat turns into the wind, the sails begin to luff. When the forward edge of the jib is luffing, the crew releases the working jib sheet.
The sailboat in this diagram is on a beam reach. The driver checks for anything that might be in the way, selects a reference point to steer for after completion of the tack, and then calls out, “Prepare to tack!” The crew checks to make sure the jib sheets are clear and ready to run out. Then the crew uncleats and holds the working jib sheet and gets ready to sheet in the lazy jib sheet before responding, “Ready!”
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Chapter 4 | Your First Sail: Foundations of Sailing