KATE SARGENT COACHING
Torbole, Lake Garda 28/04/18 – 01/05/18
UPWIND SAIL SETTINGS

The sail controls should be pulled on in the following order, as the wind increases:
1. Mainsheet
2. Kicker (take out the slack in light winds – pull more as wind increases up to maximum)
3. Cunningham (pull on if you are still overpowered)
4. Outhaul (pull on if, after kicker and cunningham, you are still overpowered – note that in waves, you need
some shape in the sail to drive you through the waves)

POINTING (UPWIND)

-Overpowered / Gust – you can head up (luff) to depower and then go back down to your normal course.
– Main sheet – pull in to be in line with back corner of cockpit – sheet in and out with gusts and waves – you can
adjust mainsheet by about 3-4 handfuls to help to keep the boat flat.
– Sailing angle – quickest angle in the RS Aero is about 5 degrees lower that your highest close-hauled course – this
angle allows you to get planning easier. Be careful to watch your tell tales and keep an eye on what angle you are
sailing at to stop you pointing off the wind.

Upwind is one of the most important legs on the racecourse because it is the slowest, most painful and least fun for a
lot of people. It is also one of the legs where you can make some of the biggest gains, which is why good boat speed
is essential.

BOAT SPEED

Remember to look at the sail and set it for the conditions that there are:
General rule:
4-8knots
Kicker: Take slack out when sail is pulled in
Cunningham: Off
Outhaul: 1 hand at middle of boom
8+knots:
Kicker: Add more to depower you as the wind increases
Cunningham: Add more to depower you as the wind increases
Outhaul: ½ hand at middle of boom

CHANGING COURSE

Remember to adjust settings
Look at the sail

REACHING
As a general guide; the sail should be set in the following:
Cunningham ½ off (might want to pull more on at a close reach)
Kicker ½ off (remember to look up at sail and adjust for different angle of a reach)
Outhaul ½ off
Centerboard 1/3 UP

DOWNWIND
The sail should be set in the following:
Cunningham OFF
Kicker OFF (enough to loosen leach of sail – remember to check sail shape and pull more kicker on if the leach
is too loose)
Outhaul OFF
Centerboard 1/3 UP

If you don’t let your controls off, the sail will power up and want to push you up towards the wind. This will create a
lot of pressure on the tiller/rudder, as you are fighting to stop the boat from twisting into the wind.
Too much kicker downwind – boom is more likely to touch the water and make you capsize.

K = Kicker
C = Cunningham
O = Outhaul
S = Sit (F = forward, M = Middle, B = Back)
LW = Light winds
HW = High winds

CAPSIZE
Remember to get hold of the rudder and push away from the center of the boat, so that the boat is less likely to
capsize on top of you once you try to get back in. Ideal angle of boat is between 45 and 90 degrees before you get in.

TACKING (Light winds)

1. Pull sail in
2. 5 degrees of heel to leeward to initiate turn
3. As boat goes into the wind, sit on the deck to roll the boat on top of you.
4. Watch the sail – as it starts to come across move weight under the boom.
5. Let the sail out as you go across the boat (2-3 handfuls)
6. Sit on the windward side to flatten boat gently whilst also pulling the sail back in – this should give you a bit
of a pump
7. Once boat is flat, adjust body position and concentrate on getting boat to full speed again.

TACKING (Strong winds)

1. Start to head through wind and pull sail in at same time
2. As boat goes into the wind, and the sail starts to flap move weight across boat
3. Let the sail out as you go across the boat (2-3 handfuls)
4. Sit on the windward side to flatten boat (angle of sail should be 5 degrees lower than your usual upwind
sailing angle)
5. Once boat is flat and you are up to speed, pull sail back in and get back to your upwind sailing angle

GYBING (Light winds)

1. Head up to a broad reach (10-15 degrees) and pull mainsheet in by 2-3 handfuls to increase speed
2. Lean boat on top of you and start to pull tiller towards you to initiate gybe
3. Watch the sail – as it starts to come across give a small tug on the foot strap to roll the boat
4. Move weight across the boat under the boom as the sail comes across
5. Sit on the windward side and flatten boat off
6. Straighten tiller – you want to come out of the gybe at approximately 10-15 degrees higher than dead
downwind to get some pressure in the sail (helps to pop the top battens)
7. Let mainsail out and bear back to downwind

GYBING (Strong winds)

1. Pull mainsheet in by 2-3 handfuls
2. Lean boat on top of you (very slightly) and start to pull tiller towards you to initiate gybe
3. Watch the sail – as it starts to come across give a small tug on the mainsheet to flick sail over to the other
side
4. Move weight across the boat under the boom as the sail comes across and let sail back out the 2-3 handfuls
that you pulled in at the beginning
5. Sit on the windward side
6. Straighten tiller – you want to come out of the gybe at approximately 10-15 degrees higher than dead
downwind. (The 2-3 handfuls that you let out through the gybe will also mean that you will not be too
overpowered out of the gybe)
7. Bear away to downwind course

MARK ROUNDINGS

AT WINDWARD MARK:
K icker off
C unningham release
O uthaul release
C enterboard 1/3 up

AT LEEWARD MARK:
C enterboard down
O uthaul back to upwind setting
C unningham on
K icker on

Try to anticipate the mark rounding before you get there (10-15 boat lengths away)
– how you will enter the 3 boat length zone?
– where you will position yourself in the fleet to have a clean mark rounding?
– where you want to go on the next leg?
– are there any collisions that could occur?

START
TRANSIT – creating an imaginary line between the committee boat, pin end and a point on the shore.

– really important to know where you are on the line
– when on the line, it is not always easy to see both ends – especially when there is a big fleet.
– A transit with a mark on the shore can help you to know if you are over the line even when you can only
see one end.
Having a transit can also help you to know whether there is a line sag and you can start to accelerate earlier.

BIAS – the favoured end of the line
Easiest way to find:
Sail to the middle of the line and go head to wind
Whichever end of the line the boat is pointing to more is the favoured end.

Line sag
Nose of boat is pointing
towards the port end in this
example – PORT BIAS
Nose of boat is pointing
towards the starboard end
in this example –
STARBOARD BIAS