Surabaya Sailing Federation

This is going to be a short article but something I wanted to cover none the less. It’s all about tuning your sailboat. Before I do that however I want to give you a saying of mine. It’s something that I always say…. you can always improve your technique more then you can improve the boat you are sailing on.

The first thing you need to do is have a good look at the setup of your boat. Do you have setup right for what you are going to be doing? Do you have set up right for your skill level? Find out how others have set their boat up.

You should never be afraid to ask for advice on this. I guarantee you there are many people who would gladly give you advice on this if you only just asked.

Make sure that you only use the cunningham when you are overpowered. Also remember to pull on the outhaul when your are beating. Below is a bit of a guide to tuning your boat in different conditions.

In light wind, you should have your mainsheet eased, the outhaul tight, the cunningham eased as well as the kicker. In moderate winds, the mainsheet should always been tight, with the kicker at medium and the outhaul and cunningham both eased. Now when it comes to heavy winds, the mainsheet should be eased with the kicker very tight and the cunningham and outhaul also tight, but not very.

Source : Sailing Lesson