Wind and Sail Trim

Open to everyone until Thursday, October 1

To keep it, print it while it is open.

A sailboat cannot head straight into the wind, so it sails at an angle to it. The angle between the boat’s heading and the wind decides how far the sail is let out.

In the picture

Wind arrow: the direction the wind is blowing toward
Boat closest to the wind: sheet hauled in tight, sail almost flat along the hull
Boat with the wind on its side: sheet eased halfway out
Boat with the wind behind its side: sheet let far out
Jagged wake trail: a boat tacking back and forth to gain ground straight upwind

Examples

Climbing against the wind is like walking up a steep hill in zigzags instead of straight.
Like a kite: line pulled tight when the wind comes from the side, slack when you run with the wind.

Key takeaways

Pointed straight into the wind, the sail flutters and the boat stops.
Closer to the wind means trimming the sheet in tighter; further from the wind means letting it out.