This article is an excerpt from NauticEd’s online Skipper Large Keelboats Course, a comprehensive online sailing course for beginner to intermediate sailors to learn how to sail large sailboats 26 ft (8m) and above. The Skipper Large Keelboats course is part of the Skipper Course Bundle of online courses, also teaching you how to master maneuvering under power and docking!
You can learn to sail and improve your sailing with NauticEd, the international leader in sailing education.
Sail Trim
While setting the sails to general rules of thumb will get you really close to a good sail set, the true finesse in sailing is understanding sail trim.
With sail trim knowledge, you use the telltales to observe the flow of air over the sails to perfect the sail set and maximize efficiency. Telltales are pieces of ribbon or wool threads where the leading edge is glued to the sail. By observing the flow of the telltale, the sail trimmer can visualize the flow of the wind over the sail at that point.
As a benefit to being a NauticEd student, you have access to a FREE interactive Sail Trim Course in your curriculum. Hopefully, you have already gone through it. Now is a good time to remind you that if you have not already visited the FREE Basic Sail Trim Course online, do so now. There is no better introductory course than the NauticEd FREE Basic Sail Trim course.
We’d really love it if you spread the word about the FREE interactive Sail Trim Course to your friends, your yacht club, and heck – even Facebook.
You can learn more in the Skipper Course....
Knowledge and theory for longer distances and overnight sailing in diverse conditions. The Skipper Course is a comprehensive online sailing course for beginner to intermediate sailors wanting to learn how to sail larger sailboats 26ft to 56ft. Or upgrade to the Skipper Course Bundle of online courses to also master maneuvering under power and docking!
