5 Expert Tips: Your complete guide to mainsail trimming

Skilled sailor although he could also be, Alain Signal has had his palms full attending to grips with the position of mainsheet trimmer in a fleet as aggressive because the Cape 31. Alain sees the mainsheet trimmer’s position because the hub, the central nervous system which is linked to each different position on the boat. “I’m having a dialog with just about everybody else on board,” he says.

“With the trim you’re seeking to information the helm to the place they’re going, and I’m taking my cue from what the tactician is saying. Then I’m speaking with the runner trimmer on the lookout for power-on or power-off.

“After which there’s sustaining the appropriate relationship between important and jib trim, working collectively by way of the gusts, lulls and shifts.”

Knowledge evaluation is one other development creeping into Cape 31 racing, with an analyst again on shore taking a look at when the boat was quick or sluggish and feeding the small print again to the group earlier than the subsequent day’s racing.

Via the wind vary, completely different parts of the a number of array of sail controls tackle completely different ranges of significance. Listed here are Alain’s 5 greatest ideas for protecting your mainsail – and the general boat velocity – on the highest degree of efficiency by way of completely different wind speeds.

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Mode priorities

On a regular basis you have to be asking your self, ‘What am I making an attempt to realize with the setup?’. I’m listening very rigorously to the tactician’s priorities at any given second as you have to mode the rig to what they want. Is it a fast-forward mode, or a excessive VMG mode, for instance?

On a secure day I’m seeking to management the heel angle so will probably be continually enjoying round with the traveller. I’m additionally taking a look at boat velocity and true wind angle, checking how shut we’re crusing to the breeze.

With the helmsman I’m transferring between crusing not too excessive and never too low, working to seek out the VMG candy spot, managing the connection between traveller place and mainsheet pressure as my two major controls.

Ease for velocity

In sub-powered mild wind situations, if you happen to’re struggling to get the boat transferring, ease for velocity. Be sure to ease the mainsheet and the jib to create actually open leeches for the air to maneuver previous. Guarantee plenty of twist and don’t steer too near the breeze, not till you’ve constructed the velocity and momentum.

As quickly as you recover from 6 knots of breeze it’s good to carry the traveller all the way in which to windward, even to the purpose the place the growth is 2 or three levels above the centreline of the boat. This creates ‘false load’, making a bit extra climate helm and really feel for the helmsman to work off.

Picture: Ludovic Fruchaud/IMACIS

Harden that leech

As you start to progress into full energy situations, begin closing off the mainsail leech. Now you’re beginning to drop the traveller additional to leeward, sustaining your goal heel angle. You’re additionally working with the fine-tune on the mainsheet, and with the runners to straighten the mast for a lull or letting it bend in a gust.

In a great world, when the runner and the jib are arrange properly, they sort of do the give you the results you want and there’s not a lot trimming or adjustment to be executed with the mainsail. That’s when you recognize you’re getting near the candy spot of optimum rig tune.

Huge breeze

The windier it will get, the extra pressure you wish to put into the shrouds. On a Cape 31 you’re solely allowed to regulate it earlier than the race, so don’t go too excessive on these changes if the breeze is trying variable.

As soon as it’s getting windy sufficient for the mainsail to start out ragging, you wish to max out in your runners, pulling on plenty of vang and Cunningham, and let the traveller to leeward. You additionally need the jib sheeted additional out to leeward to maintain the slot open.

On the Cape 31 the jib up-and-down is led to the primary trimmer whereas the jib trimmer tends to be mountaineering off the facet of the boat. This implies you may ease the jib leech by way of the gust and pull it tighter once more by way of the lull, sustaining the appropriate stability of energy between mainsail and jib.

Macif Ultime trimaran in huge situations in the course of the Brest Atlantiques. Picture: Alexis Courcoux / Brest Atlantiques

In the event you’re getting actually overpowered it’s generally value easing off once more on the vang, ensuring the underside of the mainsail retains driving the boat ahead whereas letting the highest of the sail twist off and spill the surplus energy. It’s additionally potential to drag on an excessive amount of Cunningham which you’ll see when the entry to the sail goes too flat, so be sure to don’t overdo it.

Use the runners

If the runner trimmer is trying round and anticipating the gusts and lulls, easing and tightening the runners accordingly, the mainsheet trimmer doesn’t must do an terrible lot.

While you’re in that mild wind mode, the place you’re going from 6 knots to eight knots of breeze and also you’re seeking to discover energy, that’s when correct runner trimming turns into actually vital. When the gust is available in, you need the boat to speed up, getting these activates the runner. Then if it’s slowly dying off, you have to be placing energy again into the mainsail once more.

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