Trim Your Jib Like a Pro

Dial In Your Ideal Headsail Trim: There are several things to remember when trimming the headsail aboard your boat. Don’t be afraid to experiment. In light air, play with the halyard: It’s OK to have some scallops in the luff of the sail when the breeze is down. As the wind builds, apply tension to the halyard to remove the wrinkles. The angle of heel is another important indicator of a properly trimmed boat; upwind, I find that anything more than 20 degrees is slow and inefficient. The best way to dial in your trim is by adjusting the car, or lead, on the genoa track. When the lead is too far forward (left), the draft, or curvature of the sail, becomes too deep, or exaggerated, and boat speed suffers. Likewise, when the car is positioned too far aft (right), the sail becomes too flat and lacks the necessary drive to keep the boat moving well.