November 7, 2008, Newsletter Issue #75: Advanced Sailing Courses Offer High Performance Techniques
Tip of the Week
What do you do if you're out sailing and the wind is rapidly rising? Hopefully you have had some high-level sailing lessons which taught you how to sailreef. One definition of a reef is a barely submerged line of rocks or land. Sometimes, in roller reefing, a sail is rolled around a wire at its huff or lowered a few feet and rolled around the boom. The time to try to sailreef is not when the wind is rising but in a well designed sailing course. If you properly reef your mainsail, this high performance sailing maneuver will help you keep your vessel under control and possibly minimize any damage to your sails.
Furling the jib is often the first step to sailreefing on sailboats with furling systems. The sail area must still be reduced. Newer sailors might furl in the jib, start the engine and then reef. But that will leave you in the mercy of the waves. Before reefing:
*Check that the boom vang is eased.
*Make sure all involved know the sequence of steps and the communication commands to get there.
*Make sure the person on the lines knows which is the main sheet and which is the main halyard.
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