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Performance Genoa Trimming
Boat type
Every boat is different and therefore they all require slight
differences in sail trim techniques. The first factor to establish
is what type of boat you are sailing: is it an average, moderate
or high-performance yacht?
A high-performance sailboat will sail with a much tighter slot
than a heavier cruiser/racer. This is because a boat such as
an ILC 46 has a much more easily driven hull than, say, a Jeanneau
Sunfast 40. The more refined designs do not need as much power
to keep them at speed and will therefore sail with different
settings. The high performance racing boat will need tighter
headstay tension to enable the genoa to trim closer to the mainsail.
Secondly the genoa lead will need to be slightly farther aft
than for a cruiser. This allows you to trim the headsail up
against the lower shrouds and lets the middle of the sail fly
closer to the mainsail before the top spreader hits the sail.
When sailing most high-performance racers in over 7-8 knots
of true wind speed, you should be able to trim the genoa tightly
against the top spreader.
Cruisers should sail with the genoa leads farther forward, less
headstay tension and less sheet tension. This allows for more
air to flow through the slot and creates a more powerful relationship
between the mainsail and the genoa.
When sailing a moderate performance yacht such as an IMX 38,
you can carefully sail with the genoa tight against the spreaders
but must be ready to ease the sail if the speed shows any signs
of dropping. After you ease the sail and the speed builds, you
can trim it in again slowly. Usually you only need to ease the
sail a few inches.
Page 3... Headstay and halyard
tensions
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