CHAPTER 4 HOW SAILING WORKS


E The Science of Sailing E How a Sail Works E How a Foil Works E Balance: How Sails and Foils Work Together E Weather Helm E Lee Helm


THE SCIENCE OF SAILING For a beginning sailor, getting a boat to move is solved by trimming the sails, steering with the rudder and avoiding the No-Go Zone. Once you have mastered the beginning learn-to-sail skills, understanding the basic science that makes a sailboat work will allow you to become a better sailor and make decisions about rigging and sail adjustments, sail trim, weight placement and steering.


HOW A SAIL WORKS


NO-GO


A sailboat cannot sail directly into the wind. You can try it, but your sails will only flap (luff) and you’ll be dead in the water...or even start moving backward. Because there is no difference in wind pressure between one side of the sail and the other, the sail cannot generate either “push” or “pull.” No push... no pull...NO GO!


22


If you hold your hand out the window of a moving car with your palm facing the wind, you can feel the wind “push” your hand back. This is how a sail works when the wind is coming from behind.


PUSH MODE


With the wind coming from behind, the sail (and boat) are simply pushed forward through the water.


Table of Contents


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