The concept of point of sail is fundamental for anyone wishing to learn to travel on a sailboat. The angle of the boat's course with the wind trajectory is indeed a crucial factor that influences both the speed and the stability of the vessel. Moreover, for each point of sail, the sails and their angle must be adjusted to position themselves optimally in relation to the wind's breath.
In this article, I present the 5 main points of sail: close-hauled, close reach, beam reach, broad reach, and running. I also explain for each point of sail its speed, its heel, and the necessary adjustment of the sails.
Performance varies considerably depending on the type of sailboat (dinghy, keelboat, catamaran), weather conditions and sea state. The comparisons presented in this article reflect general trends observed in sailing.
Close-hauled
What is close-hauled?
Close-hauled, or close to the wind, is the point of sail closest to head to wind, that is when the boat is facing the wind, and therefore cannot move forward. Thus, sailing close-hauled corresponds to taking a trajectory that goes from 45° to 55° with the wind axis. It is a point of sail that requires finding the right angle, so as not to get too close to the wind.
Close-hauled is a point of sail associated with the technique of tacking, which consists of moving in zigzag to sail upwind, involving occasionally tacking to change the tack, that is the side of the boat on which the wind blows. Close-hauled is also a very practical point of sail during rare but very violent wind gusts, as it reduces the chances that the boat will capsize during these gusts although this risk depends on other factors such as the vessel's overloading, its structural failures, or human error.
What speed for what heel?
Close-hauled is a rather slow point of sail, less fast than other points of sail. One of the reasons explaining this slowness is that the sailboat is sailing upwind, therefore facing the waves that crash on the hull.
In terms of stability, close-hauled is a point of sail with strong heel, due to the perpendicular push on the sails. This can make sailing close-hauled difficult.
How to adjust my sails?
When close-hauled, the sails must be sheeted in to the maximum. To do this, put the sheet lead of the mainsail in the middle, and that of the headsail moved back as far as possible. Make sure all the telltales are horizontal.
Close reach
What is close reach?
Close reach, or full and by, is the point of sail reached when bearing away from the wind from close-hauled sailing. Close reach corresponds to a trajectory that goes from 55° to 65° with the wind axis.
What speed for what heel?
It is a point of sail generally faster than close-hauled because it is less opposed to the swell! It effectively combines the push of the wind and the suction forward of the boat by the wind.
On the other hand, the sailboat crashes less into the sea which makes the navigation more stable.
How to adjust my sails?
Unlike close-hauled, the sails must be eased out from the boat's axis. The car of the headsail must be moved back, and that of the mainsail halfway. The sails must be well filled and sheeted, and their telltales must be horizontal.
Beam reach
What is beam reach?
We talk about beam reach to designate the point of sail where the wind blows on the side of the boat. It is therefore an angle gravitating around 90°, between 80° and 100°, because the wind blows almost perpendicularly on the sailboat.
This point of sail is generally considered a trajectory that combines speed and stability.
What speed for what heel?
The speed is high because the impact of the sailboat's hull and the waves becomes negligible due to the angle. Moreover, the boat has the possibility to benefit from the phenomenon of planing, when the hull partly comes out of the water and creates even more speed. Finally, we can use another type of boat sail, such as hollow sails like spinnaker or gennaker, which has the consequence of further increasing speed.
The instability of the boat is notably further reduced compared to close reach thanks to the negligibility of the impact of the waves.
How to adjust my sails?
The boat's sails must still be off-axis from the boat's trajectory. Note that any modification to the angle of the headsail will also result in a modification to the effectiveness (positive or negative) of the mainsail, and vice versa. You will therefore have to go from one sail to the other until you find the perfect angle.
Broad reach
What is broad reach?
Broad reach is the last point of sail before moving to running. A boat at this point of sail sees the wind blowing from three quarters. The angle between the boat's trajectory and the wind axis is between 120° and 170°.
It is a downwind point of sail, meaning we consider having the wind at our back.
What speed for what heel?
It is the fastest point of sail. The speed on a broad reach is very high, notably because the sail benefits little from the lift of the wind, and its breath no longer flows in a laminar manner over the sails. It is an ideal speed to explore a large archipelago such as the Kornati Islands during a boat rental in Croatia.
As for the heel, it is very slight, and the boat maintains a lot of stability. However, it should be noted that rolling can supplement the heel, which makes the boat luff, that is, it approaches the wind axis, although this is not systematic. The person at the helm must therefore counter the movement if they do not want to gybe.
How to adjust my sails?
On a broad reach, the sails must be completely off-axis from the boat's trajectory. The objective is to ease the sails completely. The mainsail must be completely open.
Running
What is running?
As its name indicates, running is the point of sail where the boat sails with the wind astern. The sailboat's trajectory is then between 170° and 190° with the wind axis. It is a downwind point of sail.
Despite popular representation, running is very far from being the most effective point of sail, because the wind has difficulty flowing over the sails due to the perpendicular breath of the wind on them.
What speed for what heel?
The speed when running is lower than broad reach, but higher than close-hauled. The sailboat does not benefit at all from the lift of the wind.
Instability is not particularly pronounced, but rolling is reinforced compared to broad reach. Above all, the risk of luffing, or even gybing increases: the boat threatens to approach the wind axis, or even to change tack.
How to adjust my sails?
The mainsail must be fully deployed, and its traveler lowered to the maximum. For the headsail, the car must be moved forward as much as possible. The telltales are no longer indicators to take into account.
Sources used for writing this article:
- [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_sail
- [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_of_list
- [3] https://www.rya.org.uk/blog/do-you-know-your-points-of-sail
- [4] https://www.lbyc.org/files/Close-Hauled%20Sailing.pdf
- [5] https://americansailing.com/articles/points-of-sail/
- [6] https://www.offshoresailing.com/sailing-basics-understanding-the-points-of-sail/
- [7] https://www.kavas.com/sailors-guide/chapterc-sailing/c2-points-of-sail.html
