| Whether the boat you are sailing is a yacht or a | | | | trim the sail. This is also especially important in light |
| dinghy, it is always hard to get the sails trimmed | | | | winds where you want every bit of efficiency you |
| perfectly. | | | | can get. |
| The rule of thumb is to let out the sail until it starts | | | | Okay so, look up at the tell tales. If you cannot see |
| flapping and then pull it in a little bit. This would make | | | | the top tell tale, the mainsail is to far in, so let out |
| the sail 80% efficient of its maximum efficiency. | | | | the mainsail about a quarter of an inch to half an inch |
| However to get the extra 20% efficiency you need | | | | until it flies again. If the middle tell tale as well as the |
| to use the mainsail tell tales. | | | | top tell tale is not flying then the mainsail is much to |
| And yes, for those who don't know, the mainsail | | | | far in and so you may want to let it out half an inch |
| does have tell tales. There are usually 3 or 4 on the | | | | to an inch. If the bottom tell tale as well as the |
| mainsail of a dinghy or yacht. | | | | middle tell tale as well as the top tell tale is not flying |
| In order to get that extra 20% efficiency, to make | | | | then you have got it much too far in so let out and |
| the boat go faster and to make the sails 100% | | | | inch to two inches. |
| efficient (well 99.9% if your being picky - nothing is | | | | This is very useful on reaches where checking to see |
| ever 100% perfect) you need to trim the mainsail | | | | if the mainsail is flapping or not is harder and |
| using these tell tales. | | | | especially in light winds where you will never see any |
| The way to do it is, is to get into the habit of looking | | | | flapping and you will just have to trim the mainsail by |
| at the tell tales every 5 or so seconds on any point | | | | the tell tales alone. |
| of sail. Every lift and header will mean you need to | | | | |