Boat Sailing in Fair Weather and Foul, 6th ed.

by A. J. Kenealy

Diagram No. 2.
Running Before the Wind.

Broadly speaking, an ordinary fore-and-aft rigged yacht with the wind due north, will head northwest on the starboard tack, and northeast on the port tack. That is, she will head up within four points of the wind. Some will do better than this by a good half point. The famous old sloop Maria, owned by Commodore J. C. Stevens, founder of the New York Yacht Club, is said to have sailed within three points and a half of the wind, and I am informed that Constitution, in her races this year, achieved a similar remarkable feat.

A square-rigger, because the sails cannot be trimmed to form so sharp an angle to the breeze as a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, rarely sails closer than six points of the wind. Consequently, she has to make more tacks and consume a longer time in accomplishing a similar distance in the teeth of the breeze than a vessel driven by fore-and-aft canvas. It is possible to make my meaning clearer by means of simple diagrams, and to these I refer the reader.

Diagram No. 3.
Gybing.

A vessel is said to be close-hauled when the sheets are trimmed flat aft and the boat is headed as near to the wind as the sails will permit without their luffs shaking. When a vessel is so trimmed, she is said to be sailing "full and bye," which means as close to the wind as the craft will point with the sails bellying out and full of wind. If a vessel is sailed so close to the wind that the sails quiver, the pressure is diminished and speed is decreased. Thus the art of beating to windward successfully consists in keeping the boat's sails full, while her head should not be permitted to "fall off" for an instant. This requires a watchful eye and an artistic touch. To become an adept, one should have plenty of practice.

Diagram No. 4.
Close Hauled on Port Tack.

A boat is on the starboard tack when the main boom is over the port quarter and the port jib sheet is hauled aft. The wind is then on the starboard bow. The conditions are reversed when the craft goes on the port tack. In diagram No. 1, four conditions of sailing are shown, the figures representing a boat sailing with the wind astern, on the quarter, abeam, and close hauled. It will be observed how the main boom is trimmed to meet the varied changes of wind or course.