CHAPTER 13 PAGE 42


Downwind Sailing Putting On the Brakes


To stop the boat when sailing downwind you should steer back toward a close reach to luff the sails. Te sails can’t luff when sail- ing downwind.


To slow the boat when sailing downwind, over-trim the sails by pulling them in to a close-hauled setting.


Even if you have never sailed before, you already know the sensation of sailing downwind from walking on a windy day with the wind at your back. If you spread your coat out, you are pushed from behind. Te same concept is at work in downwind sailing.


As you head downwind from a beam reach to a run, the wind’s effect on the sail changes from flowing around both sides to pushing against the windward side. Te trimtales on the sail are no longer useful. Tey will hang limply.


You must keep track of the wind angle by keeping a watchful eye on wind indicators other than the sail. Feel the wind on the back of your neck, look at a trimtale tied to the shroud or watch little ripples on the water. With the wind pushing on the mainsail, you should let out the mainsheet until the boom is at approximately a right angle to the wind. Let the jib out about the same amount.


Broad Reaching When broad reaching, the wind comes over the aſt windward corner of the hull. Balancing the boat is important because as a boat turns away from the wind it has a tendency to roll to windward or leeward and become less stable. On a windy day, reaching is safer than running because the boat is more stable and rocks less. It is also easier to avoid an uncontrolled or accidental jibe (see page 47) on this point of sail.


WIND


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