Points of Sail and Steering Explained

Prerequisites

The RYA Competent Crew course assumes no previous sailing experience, so this lesson starts from first principles. The minimum age for the certificate is 16 (younger candidates can take adapted courses at some centres). Before you take the helm on a cruising yacht you should already have covered, earlier in the course:

Basic boat terminology: bow, stern, port, starboard, windward, leeward, forward, aft, beam.
Personal safety: correct wearing of a lifejacket, clipping on with a harness and tether, and the safety brief for the yacht you are on.
Basic ropework, especially cleating a line and handling sheets on a winch.
The location of the main sheet, headsail sheets, winches and clutches on your boat.

You do not need any navigation knowledge for this lesson, but the compass steering section links forward to the Charts, Buoys and Compass lesson.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

Identify the direction of the true wind and the apparent wind using the wind on your face, the water surface, the masthead indicator and telltales.
Name and recognise every point of sail: close-hauled, close reach, beam reach, broad reach and run, plus the no-go zone and being "in irons".
Trim the headsail and mainsail correctly for each point of sail using the "ease until it luffs, then trim in" method and the telltales.
Steer a yacht with a tiller and with a wheel, holding a course by a landmark, by the compass and by the wind.
Take part as crew and as helm in tacking and gybing, using the standard calls.
Recognise weather helm and lee helm, and know what crew can do to reduce excessive helm.
Avoid the common beginner mistakes: pinching, over-sheeting, over-steering and unannounced gybes.
Judge when the boat is overpowered, take part in reefing, and understand how a yacht is hove to.

These map to the RYA Competent Crew syllabus items "Sailing theory: points of sail, how a sail works", "Helmsmanship and sailing: steering under sail and power, sail trim" and "Sail handling: tacking and gybing as crew". Other Competent Crew syllabus items touched on here include sail reduction (reefing) and heaving to as a basic boat-handling technique, and steering by compass and landmark.

Understanding the Wind

Everything a sailing boat does depends on the angle between the wind and the direction the boat is pointing. Before you can name a point of sail you must know where the wind is coming from. Wind is always described by the direction it blows from: a northerly wind blows from the north towards the south.

The diagram below shows the convention used on deck: the wind arrow starts at the source and points to the boat, and the masthead indicator (a Windex or similar) points into the wind like a weathervane.

Wind direction: wind blows from its source towards the boat, shown by the masthead indicator

Ways to find the wind

Feel it. Turn your face until the wind feels equal on both ears and cheeks; you are now looking straight into it. This is the quickest method and works in the dark.
Watch the water. Ripples and wavelets move away from the wind. Darker patches moving across the water are gusts (puffs) heading your way.
Masthead indicator. The arrow at the top of the mast points into the wind. Because it sits clear of the sails it is the most reliable visual guide, but it shows the apparent wind, not the true wind (see below).
Telltales. Short wool or ribbon strips on the shrouds show the wind at deck level; telltales on the sails show the airflow over the sail itself.
Flags and smoke ashore, moored boats. Moored boats lie head to wind unless there is a strong tidal stream.

True wind and apparent wind

The true wind is the wind you feel standing still on a pontoon. As soon as the boat moves it creates its own "headwind", exactly as you feel wind on your face when cycling on a still day. The apparent wind is the combination of the true wind and this boat-generated wind, and it is the wind the sails actually use.

The diagram below shows the vector triangle: the boat's own speed adds a component from ahead, so the apparent wind always comes from further forward than the true wind (except when running dead downwind).

Apparent wind is the vector sum of the true wind and the wind created by the boat's own motion

Practical consequences you will notice on board:

Sailing upwind, the apparent wind is stronger than the true wind. A yacht doing 6 knots close-hauled in 15 knots of true wind feels roughly 19 to 20 knots across the deck.
Sailing downwind, the apparent wind is weaker. The same yacht running at 6 knots in 15 knots of true wind feels only about 9 knots. This is why a run feels deceptively gentle, and why crews are often surprised by how strong the wind really is when they turn back upwind. Reef before turning upwind, not after.
When the boat accelerates (for example in a gust), the apparent wind moves forward, so you may need to trim in slightly or bear away.

The Points of Sail

Imagine a clock face with the wind blowing from 12 o'clock. The no-go zone covers roughly 45 degrees either side of the wind (about 11 to 1 o'clock). A sail cannot generate drive when the wind is blowing along it, so the boat cannot sail inside this arc.

The diagram below shows the no-go zone: point the boat inside it and the sails simply flap (luff).

The no-go zone extends roughly 45 degrees either side of the wind

A modern cruising yacht will typically sail about 40 to 45 degrees off the true wind; an older heavy boat or one with baggy sails may manage only 50 degrees. That means the angle between your heading on one tack and your heading on the other (the tacking angle) is about 90 degrees.

The full set of points of sail is shown in the diagram below. Note that it is symmetrical: you can be on any point of sail on port tack (wind coming over the port side, main boom out to starboard) or starboard tack (wind over the starboard side, boom out to port).

All the points of sail, from close-hauled through reaching to a run, either side of the no-go zone

Point of sail	Approximate angle off the true wind	Sail setting	Character
In irons (no-go)	0 to 40 degrees	Sails flapping	Boat stops, may drift backwards
Close-hauled	40 to 50 degrees	Sheets fully in	Heeling, wet, steady; as close as the boat will sail
Close reach	50 to 80 degrees	Slightly eased	Powerful, fast, still heeling
Beam reach	About 90 degrees	Eased about halfway	Usually fastest and most comfortable
Broad reach	100 to 160 degrees	Well eased	Fast, rolling begins, surfing in waves
Run	About 170 to 180 degrees	Fully out, possibly goose-winged	Rolling, slowest, risk of accidental gybe

Close-hauled

Close-hauled means sailing as close to the wind as the boat will efficiently go. Both sheets are hardened in. The sails work as aerofoils: air flowing round the curved sail creates low pressure on the leeward side, and the resulting force is mostly sideways with a forward component. The keel resists the sideways part, which is why the boat heels and makes a little leeway (sideways slip, typically 3 to 5 degrees on a cruising yacht).

When close-hauled, the helm steers to the sails rather than trimming the sails to a course. The sheets are fixed fully in; the helm heads up slowly until the front of the headsail just begins to lift or the windward telltale flicks up, then bears away a fraction until it stops. Steering in this narrow "groove" is a skill you will practise throughout the course.

Close reach and beam reach

Bear away from close-hauled and the wind comes further aft. To keep the sails working, ease the sheets progressively. On a beam reach the wind is at right angles to the boat and the sails are eased roughly halfway. This is usually the fastest point of sail on a cruising yacht because the sail force points well forward and the boat is not heeling excessively.

Broad reach

With the wind on the quarter (behind the beam), the sails are eased well out. Airflow is still partly attached, but more of the drive now comes from the wind pushing on the sail. The boat often feels fast and lively; in waves it may start to surf and roll. The helm must work harder to stop the boat rounding up as waves lift the stern.

Running

On a run the wind is directly behind. Sails are let right out until the boom is close to the shrouds (but not pressing against them, which chafes the sail). The headsail is often blanketed by the main; you can goose-wing by holding the headsail out on the opposite side, sometimes with a pole. Running is the least stable point of sail: the boat rolls, and if the wind gets behind the mainsail on the "wrong" side the boom will slam across in an accidental gybe. On many cruising yachts, skippers prefer a broad reach with the wind 20 to 30 degrees off the stern and gybe downwind in a series of broad reaches. In stronger winds a preventer (a line from the end of the boom led forward to the bow and back to the cockpit) is rigged to stop the boom crossing.

In irons

If you turn into the wind and stop with the sails flapping, you are "in irons". To get out, back the headsail (hold its clew out on the side the wind is coming from) so the wind pushes the bow away onto the chosen tack. As the boat drifts backwards, push the tiller towards the side you want the bow to fall away to; once the sails fill and the boat moves forward, centre the helm and sheet in. On a yacht with an engine, a short burst of power with the helm over is often simpler; your instructor will demonstrate both.

How Sail Trim Works

The golden rule of trimming

For any point of sail except close-hauled and the run, the correct trim is found the same way: ease the sheet until the front edge (luff) of the sail starts to curl or bubble, then trim in just until the bubble disappears. Any further in and the sail stalls; any further out and it luffs. Re-check every time the course or wind changes.

Reading the telltales

Telltales are strips of wool or ribbon about 20 cm in from the luff of the headsail, one on each side. The windward one is often green, the leeward one red. The diagram below shows correct trim: both telltales streaming horizontally aft, which means the air is flowing smoothly over both sides of the sail.

Correct trim: both windward and leeward telltales stream horizontally aft

When the airflow breaks down, the telltales tell you what to do. The diagram below shows the two faults.

Telltales stalling: a lifting windward telltale means steer away or trim in; a drooping leeward telltale means ease the sheet

Telltale behaviour	Meaning	Helm action	Trimmer action
Both streaming aft	Correct	Hold course	Hold trim
Windward lifting or spinning	Sail luffing, too close to the wind or under-sheeted	Bear away slightly	Trim in
Leeward drooping or spinning	Sail stalled, over-sheeted or too far off the wind	Head up slightly	Ease sheet

A memory aid for tiller steering: point the tiller at the telltale that is misbehaving. Windward telltale lifting: tiller to windward, which bears away. Leeward telltale drooping: tiller to leeward, which heads up. On a reach the trimmer usually fixes the problem with the sheet; close-hauled the helm fixes it with the course, because the sheet is already fully in.

Mainsail trim basics

The mainsheet controls the angle of the boom. Rules of thumb for Competent Crew level:

Close-hauled: boom roughly on the centreline (traveller centred in light to moderate wind), sail flat.
Reaching: ease until the front of the main just begins to back-wind behind the mast, then trim in a little; the top batten should be roughly parallel to the boom.
Running: boom right out but not touching the shrouds; consider a preventer.
Gusts: ease the mainsheet (or drop the traveller) to spill wind, rather than letting the boat heel and round up.

Steering

Tiller steering

A tiller is a lever fixed to the top of the rudder stock. Moving the tiller one way swings the rudder blade the other way, so the bow goes the opposite way to the tiller. The diagram below shows this.

On a sailing yacht the most useful way to think about it is in terms of the wind:

Tiller to leeward (pushed away from you if you are sitting on the windward side) = the bow turns towards the wind = head up / luff up.
Tiller to windward (pulled towards you) = the bow turns away from the wind = bear away.

Sit on the windward side, facing forward, with the tiller extension held across your body. From there you can see the headsail luff, the telltales and the waves coming at you.

Wheel steering

A wheel steers like a car: turn it clockwise and the bow turns to starboard. The diagram below shows this. The wheel drives the rudder through cables or a gearbox, so you feel less of the boat's balance through your hands. Watch the wheel's centre mark (often a turk's head knot on the top spoke) so you know where the rudder is; it is easy to wind on far too much helm without realising.

Stand or sit to windward of the wheel for the best view of the sails and of traffic, but move to leeward if you need to see obstructions under the headsail. Never steer from behind a large wheel without someone keeping a lookout under the genoa.

Steering techniques

Steer by a landmark. Pick a distant fixed object (a headland, a cloud low on the horizon, a buoy) in line with a point on the pulpit, and keep them lined up. Look up and ahead, not at the bow.
Steer by compass. The steering compass shows your heading in degrees magnetic. Settle on the course, then find a landmark or cloud on that heading and steer by it, glancing at the compass to check. Chasing the compass card produces a zigzag course. A compass "lags" behind the boat's turn, so make a small correction and wait.
Steer by the wind. Upwind, steer by the telltales; downwind, watch the masthead indicator and feel the wind on the back of your neck to avoid gybing.
Small, early movements. Every time the rudder moves it acts as a brake. Correct small deviations with small movements, and centre the helm again as soon as the boat starts to turn.
Anticipate the waves. Upwind, ease the bow up the face of a big wave and bear away slightly down the back. Downwind, expect the stern to be pushed sideways and the boat to try to round up; meet it with a little opposite helm before it happens.

Steering under power

At Competent Crew level you will also steer under engine. The same tiller and wheel rules apply going forward. Going astern the boat steers much less predictably and the rudder will try to slam over; hold the tiller or wheel firmly, keep speed low, and expect prop walk (the stern kicking sideways, usually to port on a boat with a right-handed propeller when in astern).

Helm balance: weather helm and lee helm

A well-balanced sailing yacht carries a little weather helm: left to itself, it gently turns its bow up into the wind. To sail straight you hold the tiller slightly to windward (pulling it towards you), typically 3 to 5 degrees off centre. This is desirable: it gives the helm "feel", and if the helmsman lets go or falls the boat rounds up into the wind and slows down rather than charging off.

Weather helm grows as the boat heels, because the sail force moves outboard and the hull shape changes. Heavy weather helm (needing 10 degrees or more of rudder, with the tiller fighting you) slows the boat and can make it round up uncontrollably in gusts, called broaching on a run or reach. Ways to reduce it:

Ease the mainsheet or drop the traveller to leeward in gusts.
Reduce heel by reefing the mainsail.
Flatten the mainsail (tighten outhaul and kicker/vang on a reach).
Keep the headsail sheeted so it balances the main.

Lee helm is the opposite: the boat tries to bear away, and you have to hold the tiller to leeward (pushed away) to keep it straight. It is uncommon on cruising yachts except in very light wind or when the mainsail is reefed too deeply compared with the headsail. Lee helm is undesirable: if the helm is released the boat bears away, possibly into a gybe. Report it to the skipper, who may reduce headsail or shake out a reef.

Tacking

Tacking means turning the bow through the wind so the wind comes over the other side. It is how you make progress to a destination that lies upwind, by zigzagging (beating) across the no-go zone. The diagram below shows the sequence: close-hauled on one tack, bow through the wind with sails luffing briefly, then close-hauled on the new tack.

Tacking sequence from close-hauled on port tack through the wind to close-hauled on starboard tack

Calls and crew actions for a tack

Helm checks the area on the new course is clear of traffic and hazards, and the boat has good speed.
Helm: "Ready about!" (or "Prepare to tack").
Crew prepare: the working headsail sheet hand uncleats the current sheet (keeping one or two turns on the winch and holding it), the other hand puts two or three turns of the new sheet clockwise on the opposite winch and takes up the slack, and the winch handle is ready. Everyone checks heads are clear of the boom and the mainsheet.
Crew: "Ready!" Only when all are ready.
Helm: "Lee-ho!" (or "Tacking") and pushes the tiller smoothly to leeward, or turns the wheel towards the wind.
As the headsail starts to back (fill from the wrong side), the crew releases the old sheet cleanly, flicking the turns off the winch, and lets it run.
As the headsail comes across, the other crew pulls in the new sheet hand over hand as fast as possible, then puts more turns on and winches in the last part.
Helm settles the boat close-hauled on the new tack, bearing away slightly at first to rebuild speed, then heading up into the groove.
Crew tidies and coils the lazy sheet, removes the winch handle and stows it.

A typical tack on a 35-foot yacht turns the boat through about 90 degrees and takes 5 to 10 seconds. Turning too slowly stalls the boat in the no-go zone (in irons); turning too fast stops the boat with the rudder. Releasing the old sheet too early lets the headsail flog and the bow fail to come round; releasing it too late backs the headsail and pushes the bow too far.

Gybing

Gybing means turning the stern through the wind. Because the wind is behind, the mainsail stays full the whole time and the boom swings across the cockpit with the full force of the wind behind it. A controlled gybe is a routine manoeuvre; an uncontrolled one can break the boom, the mainsheet track or someone's skull. The diagram below shows the sequence.

Gybing sequence: from a run on one gybe, stern through the wind with the boom controlled, to a run on the other gybe

Calls and crew actions for a gybe

Helm bears away to a run and checks the new course is clear.
Helm: "Ready to gybe!" (or "Stand by to gybe").
Crew prepare: if a preventer is rigged, it is released. The mainsheet hand prepares to centre the main. Headsail sheet hands prepare as for a tack. Everyone in the cockpit gets their head well below the boom's arc.
Crew: "Ready!"
Mainsheet hand centres the boom by hauling in the mainsheet while the helm holds a dead run.
Helm: "Gybe-oh!" and turns the stern slowly through the wind (tiller to windward initially, which on a run means away from the boom).
As the wind catches the other side of the main, the boom moves across a short distance; the mainsheet hand then eases the mainsheet out smoothly on the new side.
Headsail is sheeted across to the new side.
Helm meets the turn with opposite helm to stop the boat rounding up (the boat tends to swing up into the wind after a gybe).

Rule of thumb: the stronger the wind, the more important it is to centre the boom fully before the stern goes through the wind. In winds over about Force 5 many cruising skippers prefer to "chicken gybe" (tack round in a full circle) rather than gybe.

Heel, Balance and When to Reef

A sailing yacht is designed to heel. The keel and the crew's weight resist the wind's push, and the angle of heel is a good measure of whether the boat is overpowered.

Comfortable and efficient: about 10 to 20 degrees. The boat feels settled, the helm is light and the bow wave is clean.
Over 25 degrees: the boat is overpowered. Weather helm increases, the rudder stalls, the boat slows down and crew find it hard to move around safely. Time to reduce sail.
Rail under: you are carrying far too much sail. Ease the mainsheet to spill wind at once, then reef.

Reducing sail

The golden rule is to reef early. It is far easier to reduce sail before the wind rises than during a squall, and a reefed boat is usually just as fast as an overpowered one, because it sails flatter with less leeway and less drag from the rudder.

A rough guide for a typical cruising yacht of 30 to 40 feet:

Wind (Beaufort)	Typical action
Force 3 to 4	Full sail; ease sheets in gusts
Force 5	First reef in the mainsail and possibly a smaller headsail
Force 6	Second reef, small headsail
Force 7 and above	Third reef or storm sails; avoid unnecessary sailing

Treat the table as a starting point: the skipper decides, depending on the boat, crew and sea state, and you should say so if you think the boat is overpowered. As crew, you should be ready to help reef: the skipper will tell you which halyard to ease, which reef to pull down and when. Always stay clipped on while working at the mast.

Reading the boat

Weather helm increasing, speed falling: reef or ease the main.
The boat rounds up in gusts: reef, or ease the mainsheet in the gust.
Spray, noise and stress on the crew: the boat is working too hard.
Crew seasick or tired: reduce sail earlier. A comfortable boat is a safer boat.

Heaving To

Heaving to is a way of stopping a sailing yacht without anchoring. The boat lies at about 50 to 60 degrees to the wind, making slow progress sideways, and is calm enough to make a meal, deal with a problem or take a rest. It is also a useful first response in some emergencies.

To heave to on a boat with a tiller from close-hauled on starboard tack:

Tack, but do not release the headsail sheet. The headsail stays sheeted on the old side and is now backed (pressed against the mast by the wind).
As the boat settles, put the helm to leeward (the tiller pushed to the leeward side, which would turn the bow towards the wind as if to tack again).
Ease the mainsail until it is not pulling hard.
Adjust the mainsheet and helm until the boat sits quietly. If the boat tends to creep forward, ease the main; if she falls off the wind, trim it in.

The backed headsail pushes the bow away from the wind; the rudder and mainsail try to turn her into the wind. The two balance and the boat sits steadily. To sail away, release the backed headsail sheet, trim in on the new side and steer on to the desired course. Practise in good conditions so that you know how your yacht behaves.

Steering by Compass: Worked Numbers

The compass gives a precise heading to hold, and it is easier than watching the wind angle or a landmark when the sail trim is changing. Here are examples with the wind from 270 degrees Magnetic (from the west).

Point of sail	Heading	Wind position	Tack or gybe
Close-hauled	315	45 degrees off the port bow	Port tack
Close-hauled	225	45 degrees off the starboard bow	Starboard tack
Beam reach	000	90 degrees on the port side	Port tack
Broad reach	045	135 degrees on the port side	Port tack
Run	090	Dead astern	Either gybe

Notice what these headings show:

Tacking from 315 to 225 means turning through 90 degrees. The boat passes through the no-go zone (heading 270, straight into the wind) on the way.
Gybing between broad reaches (045 to 135) is a turn of 90 degrees in the other direction, with the stern passing through the wind at 090.
The wind never changes the compass, but a change in wind direction changes which headings are possible. A wind shift of 20 degrees to 250 means that the close-hauled heading on port tack becomes 295.
The compass heading differs from the course over the ground if there is a tide or leeway (see the navigation lessons).

When steering by compass, look at the compass for a few seconds, then lift your head, pick a cloud or distant landmark ahead along that heading and steer on that. Check the compass every minute. This avoids over-steering, because you are not chasing the compass card as it swings.

Worked Example: Trimming Round a Triangle

On the first afternoon of a Competent Crew course your skipper sets a triangle of three marks in open water to practise trim. The wind is a steady southwest Force 3 (about 10 knots). The diagram below shows the course.

Worked example: a triangle course with legs on a close reach, a beam reach and a broad reach

Leg 1: close reach. You leave the start with the wind about 60 degrees off the bow on the starboard side (starboard tack). Sheets are nearly in. The headsail trimmer eases until the luff bubbles, then trims back about 5 cm on the sheet. Both telltales stream. The log reads 5.8 knots.

Leg 2: beam reach. At Mark 2 the helm calls "Bearing away", and turns about 30 degrees by pulling the tiller towards the windward side. As the boat turns, the trimmers ease both sheets roughly 40 to 50 cm. The headsail leeward telltale had started to droop (stalled) because the sheet was still tight; easing fixes it. The boat accelerates to 6.4 knots, the fastest leg.

Leg 3: broad reach. At Mark 3 the helm bears away again, about another 40 degrees, so the wind is on the starboard quarter. Sheets are eased well out. The helm is warned to watch the masthead indicator: if the boat bears away much further the wind will come round behind the main and risk a gybe.

Back to close-hauled. Approaching the start again, the skipper calls "Heading up to close-hauled". The helm pushes the tiller to leeward smoothly; the trimmers haul in both sheets as fast as the boat turns. The windward telltale lifts, so the helm bears away about 5 degrees until it streams again. The log settles at 5.5 knots on about 45 degrees to the wind. The key lesson: every change of course needs a change of trim, and the telltales tell you whether you got it right.

What the Instructor Looks For

On the practical course, your instructor will assess you on points of sail and helming as part of the Competent Crew syllabus. They are usually looking for:

Awareness of the wind. You can say where the wind is at any moment, and which tack you are on, without looking at the instrument.
Smooth steering. Small, early corrections, not large, late ones.
Sail trim. You can trim the headsail and main to the telltales and explain why.
Clear calls and crew work. You say "Ready about" and respond with "Ready" or "Lee-oh" in a clear voice and at the right time.
Safe habits. You stay low and clipped on, keep your head out of the boom's path and warn everyone before a gybe.
Willingness to say when you do not know. An instructor would much rather you ask than guess.

Do not be disheartened by mistakes while you are learning. Everyone goes in irons, gybes too early or lets the sails flog at first.

Common Mistakes

Pinching

Pinching is steering too close to the wind in an attempt to go straight upwind. The diagram below compares it with correct close-hauled sailing.

Pinching: sailing too close to the wind loses speed and increases leeway

The headsail luff lifts constantly, speed drops, and because the keel needs water flowing over it to generate lift, the boat slides sideways. A boat sailing at 5 knots 45 degrees off the wind usually makes more ground to windward than one struggling at 3 knots 38 degrees off. Fix: bear away until the windward telltale streams, let the speed build, then head up gently.

Over-sheeting

Pulling the sheets in as hard as possible "to go faster" on a reach chokes the sail. The diagram below shows a choked, stalled sail beside a correctly trimmed one.

The boat heels more, the helm gets heavy, and the speed falls. Fix: ease until the luff bubbles, then trim in just enough to stop the bubble. When in doubt, let it out.

The death grip

Nervous helms often clamp the tiller or wheel and over-correct, producing a zigzag wake. The diagram below compares the two styles.

Death grip on the tiller causes over-correction; fingertip control gives a smooth course

Fix: relax, hold the tiller extension lightly with your fingertips, look at the horizon, and only correct genuine changes of heading. Let the boat ride over each wave.

Gybing without warning

The most dangerous mistake on this list. The diagram below shows the correct call-and-response.

Late gybe warning: always call "Ready to gybe", wait for "Ready", then "Gybe-oh"

Fix: never put the stern through the wind without calls and a reply, and when running always know which side the boom is on and where the wind is. If you are on the helm and the boom starts to lift or the leech starts to flick, you are close to an accidental gybe: head up (steer towards the side the boom is on) immediately.

Other common faults

Ignoring wind shifts. The wind is never steady. A header (wind moving forward) makes the sails luff; a lift (wind moving aft) lets you head up. Keep watching the water and the telltales.
Steering by staring at the compass. You will chase the card and wander. Use a landmark or cloud.
Leaving winch handles in winches. A handle left in a loaded winch can be flung out if the line slips. Remove and stow it after every tack.
Sitting in the boom's path. Always know the boom's arc and keep your head out of it, even on a reach when a gust or wave can cause an accidental gybe.
Letting go of the helm to help with something else. Ask for the helm to be taken over first: "Can you take the helm?" "I have the helm." Only then let go.

Safety Notes

The boom is the most dangerous item on deck. Duck and keep clear during every tack and gybe.
Rig a preventer when running in anything more than light airs and lead it so it can be released from the cockpit under load.
Apparent wind downwind feels light; reef before turning upwind.
Keep sheet tails coiled and out of the way of feet.
Helming is one of the best cures for early seasickness; if you feel queasy, ask to steer.

Summary

Wind is named by where it comes from. Apparent wind, which the sails use, comes from further forward than the true wind and is stronger upwind, weaker downwind.
A yacht cannot sail within about 45 degrees of the wind (the no-go zone). The points of sail are close-hauled, close reach, beam reach, broad reach and run, on either port or starboard tack.
Trim each sail by easing until the luff bubbles and trimming in until it stops. Telltales streaming on both sides mean correct trim.
Tiller: the bow goes the opposite way to the tiller; tiller to leeward heads up. Wheel: steer like a car.
Steer by a distant landmark with small, early movements; glance at the compass to check.
A little weather helm is good; heavy weather helm means ease the main or reef. Lee helm is undesirable and should be reported.
Tack with "Ready about" / "Ready" / "Lee-ho"; gybe with "Ready to gybe" / "Ready" / "Gybe-oh", centring the boom first.

Check Your Understanding

1. The wind is blowing from the west. What is the wind called and which way are the ripples moving?

Answer: It is a westerly wind. The ripples move away from the wind, towards the east.

2. You are sailing close-hauled at 6 knots in 14 knots of true wind. Is the apparent wind stronger or weaker than 14 knots, and does it come from further forward or further aft than the true wind?

Answer: Stronger (roughly 18 to 19 knots) and further forward. Upwind the boat's own motion adds to the wind across the deck.

3. On a beam reach the leeward headsail telltale is drooping and the windward one is streaming. What should the trimmer do?

Answer: Ease the headsail sheet. A drooping leeward telltale means the sail is over-sheeted and the airflow has stalled on the leeward side.

4. You are steering with a tiller and want to head up towards the wind. Which way do you move the tiller?

Answer: To leeward (pushed away from the windward side where you are sitting). The bow turns the opposite way to the tiller, so it turns towards the wind.

5. What is the difference between weather helm and lee helm, and which is preferred?

Answer: With weather helm the boat tries to turn into the wind and you hold the tiller slightly to windward; with lee helm the boat tries to bear away and you hold the tiller to leeward. A small amount of weather helm is preferred because the boat rounds up and slows down if the helm is released.

6. List the three calls for a tack in order, and say what the crew must do before answering "Ready".

Answer: "Ready about!", "Ready!", "Lee-ho!". Before answering, the crew prepare the working sheet to be released, put turns on the new winch and take up slack, have a winch handle ready, and check heads are clear of the boom.

7. Why must the mainsail be centred before the stern passes through the wind in a gybe?

Answer: So that the boom only travels a short distance across, under control, instead of slamming from one side to the other with the full force of the wind, which can injure crew and damage the rig.

8. A friend steering upwind is heading 38 degrees off the wind at 3 knots with the headsail luff constantly lifting. What is wrong and what should they do?

Answer: They are pinching. They should bear away a few degrees until the windward telltale streams and speed builds, then sail at around 45 degrees off the wind; the extra speed reduces leeway and gives better progress to windward.

9. Running in Force 5, the boom starts to lift and the mainsail leech flicks towards the centreline. What is about to happen and what should the helm do?

Answer: An accidental gybe is imminent because the wind is getting behind the mainsail. The helm should immediately steer towards the side the boom is on (head up slightly) and warn the crew. A preventer should be rigged.

10. Why should you steer by a distant landmark rather than by constantly watching the compass?

Answer: The compass card lags behind the boat's turning, so chasing it causes over-correction and a zigzag course. A distant landmark gives an instant, steady reference; the compass is used to choose the landmark and check the heading occasionally.

Your yacht is heeling more than 25 degrees, the helm is heavy and the boat is slow. What should you do first, and what does the crew do next?

Answer: Ease the mainsheet immediately to spill wind and reduce heel, then tell the skipper. The skipper will probably reef; the crew helps by easing and securing halyards and pulling down the reef, clipped on at all times.

The wind is from 270 degrees Magnetic and you are close-hauled on port tack at 315. What heading will you be on after a tack, assuming a 90 degree tacking angle?

Answer: 225 degrees Magnetic, close-hauled on starboard tack.