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Tack and Fairlead Positioning

Forum - Sails and Sail Trim - Tack and Fairlead Positioning
Module Content - Sea Talks5
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Student
Alan Siegel
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Crew Level 0
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 0
Tack and Fairlead Positioning
Posted 2019, Dec 30 13:08
I understood everything in this module easily except this section. I can easily see how moving the fairlead aft tightens the foot and causes the top of the sail to lose shape to spill wind and how moving it forward reduces tension on the foot, causing a pouch in this area and increases tension on the leach to shape the top of the sail. But I can't seem to figure out how this relates to what tack the boat is on. It seems on one tack you want to spill wind and on another you don't. I can't seem to picture what "twist out and away downwind" looks like and why this would be beneficial on a particular tack vs the opposite when on the opposing tack.
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Grant Headifen
Reply 2020, Jan 04 09:23
twisting out the top of the sail is reserved for high wind days when you have excess wind. Wind at the top of the mast causes the greatest heeling moment on the boat and so twisting out to spill the wind at the top reduces the heeling moment while retaining some of the wind lower down on the mast for propulsion. As a sail trimmer, you are constantly monitoring heeling angle vs propulsion and at the same time watching the telltales to try to drive efficient airflow. So the answer is that there is not a specific angle to the wind where you twist out the top. More so it is based on wind strength.
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Coby Turner
Bluffton, SC, USA
Crew Level 0
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 2
Reply 2020, Jul 04 21:01
I'm sure you've figured this out by now, but I need to articulate the answer to what I THINK you are asking. The spilling or tightening of the leech doesn't have to do with the tack you're on but is determined by which telltale is flapping. If it's on the outside of the sail, the sail needs more flow to that side of the sail so you let it spill. If the flapper (forgive my terminology) is on the inside of the sail it's not tight enough and by moving the fairlead forward the leech tightens up. I'm really not sure if this is right, perhaps Grant could weigh in again?
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