SAILING IN
THE GROOVE As you learn to sail up wind, you will develop an advanced technique called “sailing in the groove.” The groove is an invisible sailing angle where your sailboat is making the best progress toward the wind (to windward). Sails will be trimmed in for close hauled and the sailboat is steered to the perfect angle to the wind. Finding the groove and staying there can be a bit of a challenge at first, but sailors soon learn how to “feel it” when their sailboat is in the groove. The best references for staying in the groove are your sailboat’s speed, how much it tips (angle of heel), and the use of the jib telltales.
The No-Sail (No-Go) Zone extends about 45 degrees off both sides of the eye of the wind.
NO-SAIL (NO-GO) ZONE
WIND
Telltales stream back when wind flow is smooth and flutter upward when flow is turbulent.
WIND
NO-SAIL (NO-GO) ZONE
What is “The Groove”? Experienced helmsmen don’t sail a perfectly straight course upwind. They subtly “snake” a course along the edge of the No-Sail (No-Go) Zone—first sailing closer to the wind to see if the sails are on the verge of luffing, then heading back away from the wind to fill the sails with wind. This technique is called sailing in the groove.
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Chapter 6 | Mastering the Wind: Advanced Sailing Skills
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