Yachting Monthly - November 2015

EXPERT ON BOARD

18 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com NOVEMBER 2015

Use the right

furling technique

Furling sails should make life

easier, not harder. If you need a

winch to furl your genoa, even

in a reasonable breeze, all is

not well. If you’ve checked your

gear, straightened the leads and

washed your lines, it’s time to

look at your technique.

Mainsail technique

It takes two to furl a mainsail.

One stays on the helm, the

other works the lines. Winching

shouldn’t even come into it. Most

cruisers go head-to-wind to

douse their sails. For lowering a

slab-reefed sail into lazyjacks, this

is the right thing to do. Try it with

furling sails, however, and you’re

making a rod for your own back.

A flogging sail flicks from side

to side, catching the wind on both

sides with some force. This acts

against the furling line and tries

to unroll the sail. And inside the

mast, it pulls the foil extrusion

aft against the inside of the slot,

adding another point of friction.

Bear away slightly onto a close

reach and you can control exactly

how full the sail is with the sheet

and outhaul, whilst eliminating

the flogging. This also reduces

noise, which can only help create

completing your sail manoeuvres.

Furling your mainsail on

the opposite tack, in this case

port tack, doesn’t make furling

impossible, but it does force

the sail around an acute angle

through the mast slot as it rolls

up. It doesn’t look like much of

a difference, but a kink like that

would be bad enough with a rope,

let alone a piece of wind-filled

cloth rubbing against metal along

the length of the mast.

With the engine ticking over,

ease the mainsheet so the main is

just full of wind, but not straining.

Give the outhaul a turn or two

around a winch before releasing

the clutch, and leave one turn on

so the line runs neatly onto the

drum. A couple of turns round a

winch with the furling line also

gives a better lead from the rope

clutch. Ease the outhaul and pull

the furling line. If it helps, pass the

outhaul to the helm to ease it out

as you furl the sail. This should be

light and easy in most winds.

Furling Foil

Mainsail

Sail clear

of slot sides

Mast in

cross

section

PORT

STARBOARD

Wind

Mast in

cross

section

PORT

Furling Foil STARBOARD

Mainsail

Sail forced

against

side of slot

Wind

ANTI-CLOCKWISE FURLING, STARBOARD TACK ANTI-CLOCKWISE FURLING, PORT TACK

For sails that roll anti-clockwise, starboard tack

will keep the sail free of the sides of the mast slot

Being on port tack will force the sail against

the side of the slot, creating friction

a calmer environment on board.

Most in-mast furling systems

roll up in an anti-clockwise

direction, so the sail leads onto

the starboard side of the roll, with

the slot in the mast designed to

aid this. Head onto a course that

puts the wind on this side. For a

sail that rolls up anti-clockwise,

you want to be on starboard

tack, which conveniently also

makes you stand-on vessel while

A close reach on

starboard tack is

ideal for a smooth,

easy mainsail furl

While the helm steers, it only takes one person to unfurl the main

RIGHT: Leave a

turn of the

outhaul on a

winch while

you pull the

furling line for

a more tightly

rolled sail

GRAPHICS: LIZA SAWYER / SIMON FEVYER