1. University of Kansas Sailing Club
LEARN TO SAIL
Sailing Basics
University of Kansas Sailing Club
Fall 2012

2. Overview: {KU SAILING} Parts of a Sailboat Sailing Terminology
Points of Sail
Sail Trim
Tacking
Jibing
Rules of the Road
Preparing to Sail
{KU SAILING}

3. Parts of the Boat: Not Shown {KU SAILING} Main Halyard Jib Halyard
Boomvang
Tiller Extension
Hiking Straps
{KU SAILING}

4. Parts of the Boat: {KU SAILING} Two sails: Main Sail, Jib Sail
The Outhaul pulls the Main Sail out.
The Cunningham stretches the Main Sail down.
Sheet: a line that controls a sail
Main Sheet, Jib Sheet
Halyards: a line that hoists (pulls up) a sail
Main Halyard, Jib Halyard
The Rudder changes the direction of the boat.
The skipper uses the Tiller to control the Rudder
{KU SAILING}

5. Sailing Terminology: {KU SAILING} Bow: the front end of the boat
Stern: the back end of the boat
Forward: direction towards the bow
Aft: direction towards the stern
Port: left
Starboard: right
Windward: closer towards the wind
Leeward: farther away from the wind
“In Irons”: pointed into the wind, no forward motion
Many of these are directional terms. They may be difficult to understand without real-time application. Just look them over and your skipper will explain them to you during your sail.
{KU SAILING}

6. Points of Sail: {KU SAILING}
Sailboats can not sail directly into the wind. There is a 90-degree zone 45-degrees to either side of the wind known as the No-Sail Zone. A boat in the No-Sail Zone is “In Irons”.
The following diagram shows the basic points of sail. Under sail, a boat is on either a starboard or a port tack. On a starboard tack, the wind comes over the right side of the boat; on a port tack, the wind comes over the port side of the boat.
Notice that as the boat points further away from the wind, the sails are eased out. When the boat points close to the wind, the sails are sheeted in close to the center of the boat. This is called sail trim.
{KU SAILING}

7. Points of Sail:
{KU SAILING}

8. Sail Trim: {KU SAILING}
A sailor adjusts, or “trims” the sails to sail the boat as efficiently as possible. We can read tell-tales to adjust our sail trim. Tell-tales are usually pieces of yarn that have been attached to the sails. On the Main Sail, tell-tales are attached to the outside end of the sail. On the Jib sail, a tell-tale is attached on each side.
Sails are trimmed correctly when tell-tales fly back straight. If the windward (interior) tell-tale is flapping, the sail trim is too loose and needs to be sheeted in. If the leeward (exterior) tell-tale is flapping, the sail trim is too tight and needs to be eased out.
{KU SAILING}

9. Sail Trim:
{KU SAILING}

10. Tacking:
A sailing maneuver to change direction, during which the BOW of a sailboat crosses through the wind
Skipper prepares crew to tack
Skipper begins the tack
Sails pass through the wind in a smooth motion
Skipper & crew move to the other side of the boat
Skipper & crew trim sails
{KU SAILING}

11. Jibing:
A sailing maneuver to change direction during which the STERN of the boat crosses through the wind.
The skipper and crew go through the same moves used when tacking
CAUTION: unlike during a tack, the sail will cross the wind in one swift motion. It is important to be aware of the boom to avoid injury
{KU SAILING}

12. Rules of the Road: {KU SAILING}
Right-of-Way: The rights to stay a course
A boat that does not have right-of-way must give way (change course) to accommodate the boat that does have rights
Rule 1: Boats under power must give way to those that are not
Rule 2: Sailboats have right-of-way over motor-powered boats
Rule 3: Boats on a starboard tack have right-of-way over boats on
a port tack
Rule 4: A leeward boat has right-of-way over a windward boat
Rule 5: A boat that is overtaking another boat must give way.
Regardless of any rules, sailors have a responsibility to avoid collisions at all costs.
{KU SAILING}

13. Your First Sail: {KU SAILING} Dress accordingly:
Wear clothes that will dry quickly. Synthetics are best
Wear shoes. If you don’t have dinghy boots, wear an old pair of shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Flip flops are bad.
Things to bring:
Water
Spare clothes & towel (just in case)
Sunglasses or a hat
{KU SAILING}