31
SVN Solovelanet Global
M
any sailors have never moved a sheet travel-
ler in their life, thus missing the opportunity to
feel the difference between a wrong and a right sail
adjustment. The helm gets lighter and the boat sails
faster and in balance, as if she came alive. Even if it
is often underestimated, adjusting the jib is essential,
and in a few steps it can change our way of sailing.
Let's see how.
Head angle
Leech
Clew
Sheet
Luff
Tack
Panels
Sheet traveller
Telltales
Foot
Once we assume our point of sailing,
we need first and foremost to adjust
the position of the traveller, so that the
sheet is the virtual prolongation of the
bisecting line of the genoa clew. This
is a general rule that must be adapted
to the situation and applied according
to the age of the genoa.
If the sheet splits the sail angle in half and the genoa stretches for
its entire length at the same time when luffing, then the twist is
correct. On the other hand, if the sail stretches at the top and the
higher upwind telltale is the first to flap, then the twist is exces
-
sive. In this case, we need to move the traveller forward, thus
reducing the draft at the bottom too.
Adjusting the twist using the sheet
traveller
Adjusting the angle with the sheet
Adjusting the depth of the draft by
stay tension
Adjusting the position of the draft
using the halyard
A
B
C
D
The four essential
adjustments are:
Sheet and bisecting line
Too twisted
The jib
