Sheet In or Sheet Out?

Here are some great examples of how you can read the tell-tales and instantly know what to do. Look at each example and decide what you should be doing.

In the example, click the selection box you think best on the image.

In this example below you are viewing from the starboard side of the boat since the boat is going from left to right. Also, you see the green tell-tale over the top of the red. Red is on the port side of the boat. The green tell-tale is on this side of the window and on the starboard side of the boat.

One more piece of information (which is a bit difficult to see) is that the boat is on a starboard tack (wind coming from the starboard/right side of the boat) you can see this because the genoa is on the other side of the mast – since you can see the mast.

Given all the deductions from above, the wind must be coming from your right hand and flowing into the computer screen to the left. The green tell-tale is being starved of air whilst you can see the red has plenty as it is flowing smoothly. This means there is turbulent air on the starboard side of the boat.

If you sheet in (tighten up the sails by pulling on the port side working jib sheet) slightly this will allow the incident wind to flow more smoothly on this side of the sail. The green tell-tale will then start flying backwards smoothly. We show this concept of smooth vs turbulent airflow using moving arrows inside our FREE Basic Sail Trim Course.

i.e. in the above – Sheet in!

If you are struggling with this – simply take our FREE Basic Sail Trim course. It will make you more knowledgeable than most sailors out there.