How To Trim The Sail Video

Trimming the sail is especially important and challenging when sailing directly into the wind. Learn how to trim the sail in this sailing video.

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Going into wind is difficult
Improper trimming breaks up wind
If in doubt, let out

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As a young man, Butch was standing at the sea, when he fell in love with what he saw, the wind pushing beautiful sailing vessels across the waters so effortlessly. It wasn't long before he was crewing for many racing skippers around the club's courses. As father time marched on, he became less content with his land career, so a few years ago he left it for a life on the Bay. He is currently the president and CEO of Tradewinds Sailing School and Club in the San Francisco Bay area.

BUTCH FLOREY: The sail has a curve like this and if the wind is pushing at it, it works well but if it has to go into the wind--the sail has a curve like this and if the wind is pushing at it, it works well but if it has to go into the wind, it can only attack about 45 degrees. What it means is the wind is going to go around the side and then the wind goes around the backside. And when you have the trim just perfectly, it will flow. And now you get a push and this is going to pull. And with the whole design, you will start going through the water against the wind. If in doubt, let up, you let the sail up. It will start flogging and then you start pulling it back in and also you will see those nice--that is it. How tight it is just let it up so it starts muffing and then you trim it back until it gets nice little feel to it.

How to Trim the Sail Video

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