🔍 Key Concepts

• Close-hauled: what it means to sail as close to the wind as possible without luffing • Relationship between sheeting in/out (tightening/easing sheets) and the sail’s angle to the wind • What causes a sailboat to go into irons and what leeway is

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens to the airflow over the sails when you pull the sheets tighter versus when you ease them—how does that change the boat’s pointing ability? • Consider the definition of irons: what heading relative to the wind is required to get stuck in irons, and does easing the sheets alone cause that? • When sailing too close to the wind, what is the first sign your sails are too tight or you’re pointing too high?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on the definition of close-hauled: boat’s heading relative to the true wind (approximate angle). • Recall that luffing happens when the sail is turned too directly into the wind and airflow breaks down—does sheeting in or easing sheets usually cause that? • Know that leeway is sideways drift: ask whether trimming sails in or out directly reduces sideways motion, or if heading and foils (keel/centerboard) are more important.