Head sail (Genoa, Jib)

  • Trimming equipment

  • Sheeting point

  • Sheet

  • Luff

  • Fore stay

  • Back stay

  • Trim parameters

  1. Halyard tension

The Halyard tension does not depend on the type of the head sail rigging.

Tune the tension on a close haul until there are no more wrinkles in the leech. More tension does not change the sailing performance but increases the wear of the sail.

With heavy sea, ease the tension on the back stay. Disadvantage: more drift, point less.

  1. Sheeting point

Determines the Twist in the sail. In general sheet shall point to the middle of the luff.

Moving the sheeting point aft increases the tension on the foot and reduces the tension on the leech.

The sail opens at the upper part of the leech and reduces the heeling. But the pointing ability is reduced.

Sheeting point forward flattens the sail in the upper part and allows to point higher.

With furling sails the sheeting point is moved forward when reefing so that the sheet continues to point to the middle of the luff.

  1. Sail tension

The correct sail tension can easily be determined by the position of the tell tales on the head sail. The tell tales are positionned about 10% of the sail width behind the luff and in heights of 25, 50 and 75% of the luff.

The behaviour of the tell tales depends on course and wind force.

a. Close hauled course

windward tales move upward → too close hauled → bear away

leeward tales fall → too far born away → luf

b. Optimal course

light Wind → windward tales just start to circle

mean wind force → windward tales jump up in regular intervals

strong Wind → windward tales are perturbed by the important heeling

c. Free course

windward tales move upwards → harden sheet

leeward tales fall → ease sheet

d. Luffing

upper tale moves up first → sheeting point further aft

lower tale moves up first → sheeting point further to front

  1. Miscellaneous

Better pointing capability by trimming the fore stay tension with the back stay in order to keep the alignment of the fore stay as constant as possible.

The UV protection of furling sails shall be at the outside when rolling in.