Tips on how to Point Higher
“The best teams in each fleet I sail in all seem to be able to point higher than me”. This is a statement that can be heard at every regatta.
Flow over the foils is key and you can’t start pointing higher until you have enough flow.
Many factors affect pointing ability, but I’ll talk about the main ones. For the sake of this exercise let’s say that the breeze is about 9-12 knots and the boat is not overpowered.
VMG and pointing
Let’s focus on pointing higher than VMG (Velocity Made Good). VMG = optimum height/ speed angle for making progress upwind. The range between VMG and pointing artificially high is maybe 4 degrees any higher than that and the speed drops off drastically.
Ease into pointing by gaining speed first. If someone is right below you (like at a start), you still can’t stick it high too quickly because until flow gets going over your foils you will slide sideways.
The Jib and Pointing
Many sailors try to point by trimming in their jib hard and although tempting, over-trimming the jib is not the way to point.
When pointing considerably higher, especially in lighter winds, the pressure on the jib will decrease and the jib may get tighter in the leech so you may actually need to ease it.
If trying to point higher by heading up, and your jib leech telltale stalls, you need to ease.
The Main and Pointing
You get height by over-trimming the main and thus hooking leech. Look at the top leech telltale and see what % it is flowing. If in VMG mode, have it stall 50% of the time.
In point mode, trim it in so it is stalling 70-80% of the time.
Over-trimming the main will give you more hook. If the hook is hard to achieve, ease the backstay and vang. Each will straighten the mast and that makes the leech tighter.
Easing Cunningham and outhaul also add some hook and thus leech tension.
Jib and Mainsail Leech Telltales
Spend most of your time looking at the jib tales and just glance up and read the % stall on the main. That leech telltale will alternate between flowing and stalling over a few seconds.
Adjust the main trim whenever there is a windspeed change.
If your target is 70% stall, but then get a lull, ease main and then look up and fine-tune to get it back to 70%. To relate this to pointing high, do this regardless of pointing, VMG, or footing, but the target stall time is what changes.
Other Controls to aid pointing
Traveller – pull the traveller up so the boom is just above the centreline.
Heel – Over-flatten the boat. You need the foils more vertical than usual to get the most lift off them. It’s just a few degrees more than normal for those conditions. A flat boat moves sails to windward.
Ease the jib halyard and mainsail Cunningham
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Pointing when Overpowered
When you are overpowered, it’s more about sailing flat. In overpowered conditions, the main is already eased so the top telltale is always flowing.
You still need to trim in your main, but instead of trimming to the main leech telltale, trim to keep the boat at the correct heel. Focus on the heel, puffs, lulls and waves.
Steering a little high say 1-4 deg is OK, but pointing any higher than that is unsustainable.
In all conditions, over-trim and pinch until you feel the boat start to slow then put the bow down and get speed again.
