Reaching Trim

[Kazrob]

I am quite comfortable with the ideas of trim on the runs where the key to me is keeping the flow going, either from mast to leach, or leach to mast or even bottom to top, but I’ve never worked out completely the best philosophy for trimming while on beam and broad reaches. Almost every book suggests the old ‘if in doubt, let it out’ approach and recommend easing the main until the luff lifts and then pulling it in slightly. However I’m sure in my copy of Bethwaite he recommends pulling the main in till the leeward telltale starts to lift and then easing a tad. I’ve also not class raced in ages and its hard to test in a handicap fleet in the OK

So while accepting there will be a point where you are overpowered and will have to ease the sheet a lot, if you can take the power in an OK should you sheet harder either until just before the leeward side telltales at the luff lift generating a lot of lift largely in the same direction as you are going (on a broad reach) or ease until just before the windward telltales lift, generating less lift but having it more in the direction you are going?
In many ways its a moot point right now as I’m stuck with a ‘loose body’ in my knee and can’t sail right now so I’ve resorted to thinking about it instead of doing it. Dangerous thing thinking tho….

[Bob Bourne]

Hi Kazrob,
I’d be wary of ‘undersheeting’ on a reach, providing you can hold the power. It’s probably best to ‘pull on’ the power until you can’t keep the boat flat, then ease off.
In anything above force 3, flow across the sail is still generally maintained that way, (helped by sail twist, as well).
In lighter winds it is best to watch the leech telltales. Again, pull in until they just disappear behind the sail (indicating a ‘stall’), then ease off a bit. In practice, it means moving the main (and steering, to ‘sheet in and out’) all the time to keep the sail ‘working’, there is no ‘set it and forget it’ in OK sailing !
Hoping that’s helpful,
Bob

[Kazrob]

Thanks Bob -that’s good to hear. I’ve had a growing conviction that sheeting in much harder is faster for a while now, but almost every book I read suggests keeping it eased until the luff starts to lift. Perhaps there is a conspiracy of those who are fast off wind to keep the secret away from the rest of us

I’ve just got to used to trimming from the footblock now.

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