How to adjust trim and heel

Heel

A sailboat will almost never sail perfectly straight - a slight roll is certainly present, but it is beneficial. Boat hulls are designed so that the yacht will only sail better at an optimum pitch angle of 10-15. The greater the area of the wetted surface, the greater the frictional force and the lower the speed of the yacht. At a slight heeling inclination (10-15), the area of the wetted surface is even smaller than when the boat is flat on the water, which means that the yacht goes a little faster

Moreover, sails sagging due to heeling take the right shape in light wind and work better. This happens because they are sewn with the expectation of the optimal angle of the boat.In this case, it is important to remember that it leads to a tilted boat. And the more the boat heels, the more it will tilt. You can take advantage of this feature

Why a sailboat heels

As long as the boat is flat, the waterline is symmetrical to the centerline, so it moves straight ahead

When it heels, the waterline becomes asymmetrical. The wave pushes the boat onto the leeward, more submerged side and pushes it into the wind

The more the yacht heels, the more it drifts. When heeling, the center of sail area shifts to leeward and the center of lateral resistance shifts windward, creating a torque that causes the boat to turn

Therefore, the greater the displacement of these points relative to each other, the stronger the drive

Using heeling to steer

Heeling can also be used for maneuvering the boat. It is clear that any additional movement of the rudder slows down the boat. By using heeling to your advantage, you can reduce these movements and not lose speed during maneuvers

The yacht will sail straight when its flat on the water

When heeling against the wind, the shape of the waterline becomes asymmetrical, and the yacht starts heading up the wind

Measurement is important in everything, so with a very big heel (> 20) the speed of the boat starts to drop

The wind will fall off the sails and they will no longer work properly

The boat is headed up too much because of the heeling which needs to be corrected by steering which slows the boat down even more

Drifting

Due to its shape, the keel functions like a sail under the water: according to the principle of an airplane wing, it generates lift in the water current and thus counteracts drift

The lift is directed perpendicular to the plane of the keel. It therefore has the strongest effect when the yacht is either completely without or with a slight heeling inclination, up to 20. As the heeling inclination increases, the keel can no longer effectively counteract drift, as the horizontal component of the lifting force decreases noticeably ,the sailboat begins to drift more

This is how you reduce excessive heeling and all its negative consequences:

Heel the yacht to the wind

Flatten the sails

Twist the sails more

Loose the main sheet

Shift the center of the sail area forward and reef the mainsail

Shift the center of lateral resistance to the stern, the crew moves closer to the stern

Trim

Trim is the inclination of the sailboat in the longitudinal plane. Just like the heel, it is important to manage it so that the yacht goes fast and steers well

Bow

There are three points on the boat that help maintain course and control the movement of the boat: Stem, Keel and Rudder Blade. If you remove the stem from this bundle, the boat will deteriorate. Therefore, the bow should be slightly submerged in the water, about ⅕. This way, the boat can sail a proper course

In light winds, we move the crew closer to the bow for this and load it so that the stem does not stick out of the water

With more wind or on the downwind courses, the bow digs more into the water and slows the motion. To avoid this, move the crew closer to the stern

Stern

When the stern is sunk in the water:

The wetted surface becomes wider, the friction force increases and the speed decreases

Whirlwinds develop behind the boat, slowing it down

The stern lifts, it's difficult to sail in a straight line, and the fact that it is difficult to stay on course makes the sails work worse.

To avoid this, relieve the stern, it is better to bring the crew closer to the center of the sailboat

Book now

Yacht Class

Fareast 28R

A modern racing yacht with a speed of 20 kn at full capacity

Yacht Info

Locaction

Wind Rises Dubai

Shop 24&25, Marina Cubes Street, Port Rashid, Dubai

Route Guide

Documentation

General terms and conditions travel

General terms and conditions

Cookie policy

FAQ

Can a sailing boat rollover?

Nope, it’s almost impossible to roll over on a keelboat

I’ve never sailed before. Are your trainings suitable for me?

The answer is yes! Our mission is to popularize sailing to the masses, so we’re happy to see newbies joining us! You can also visit one of our regular yachting-theory master classes to prepare better in advance. Or get to the regular trainings straight ahead — our experienced instructor will enroll you in the process smoothly

I have a team already. Can we race with you?

Yep! Book the training together: if you’re taking the whole boat, you’re getting 15% off the price

I’m a pro. Are these trainings suitable for me?

Our regular trainings might be a bit dull for you, but no worries! We also offer a special series of advanced and specialized courses. We also organize match racing activities to cater the more experienced—you’ll love these!

I paid for the subscription, but something went wrong — what should I do?