Upwind Sailing

Upwind means sailing as close as possible toward the wind without entering the No Go Zone.

In a 420, this is about 45 degrees off the wind.

To reach a point directly upwind, we tack back and forth in a zig zag pattern.

What the Sails Are Doing Upwind

• Mainsheet trimmed in
• Jib sheet trimmed in
• Boat slightly heeled
• Crew Hiking to keep the boat balanced

Hiking means leaning your body out over the side of the boat to help keep it flat and reduce heel.

The skipper and crew are the weight that help flatten the boat.

We control heel by trimming correctly and moving our bodies to keep the boat balanced.

From Lesson 5:

When both telltales stream straight back, airflow is equal on both sides of the sail.

Equal airflow creates lift.

Lift pulls the boat forward like a vertical airplane wing.

If the inside telltale flutters, you are too close to the wind.
Bear off slightly.

If the outside telltale stalls, you are trimmed too tight or bearing off too much.
Ease slightly or Head up gently.

Steps During a Tack

1. Look around and make sure the area is clear.
2. The skipper announces ready to tack.
3. The crew responds ready.
4. The skipper slowly pushes the tiller toward the sail to turn the bow through the wind.
5. As the boat passes head to wind, the sails luff.
6. The crew releases the jib sheet and trims the new jib sheet on the new side.
7. The skipper and crew switch sides smoothly.
8. The skipper centers the tiller and trims sails for the new upwind direction.

A complete tack turns the boat about 90 degrees so the sails fill on the new side.