Simon ‘Stir’ Fry is a world class trimmer with wins in a huge range of classes. He shares tips for trimming and headsail setup with Andy Rice
The challenge of headsail trim, according to Stir Fry, is to understand at all times what the team is aiming to achieve. On a busy race course, these goals are constantly changing.
Whether you’re going for VMG speed in open water, riding through rough chop, or having difficulty listening in a narrow lane, the trimmer needs to be synchronized with the helmsman and mainsheet trimmer for the “loop of speed” as well. like knowing what the tactician and the strategist are thinking.
According to Fry, one of the big differences between a fully professional crew and a typical amateur race crew is the level and quality of conversation – and headsail trim is a key part of that communication loop.
“Let’s say you’ve just started and you’ve been in the race for two minutes. Five boats went out while three boats veered to port, but it looks like we have to sail another two minutes to open a way in the middle of the course,” Fry explained.
“The tactician will say, ‘I have to live this way for another 45 seconds.’ Then the pilot will say, “OK, trimmers, just give me a little more tune, and I’ll be happy to sail 1/10th below target speed. So it’s going to be a very, very small change in trim.” the mainsail sheet and the jib sheet. The trimmers then respond by freeing themselves and asking if it suits the helmsman, and so on. It’s a constant conversation.
Even though it’s a very specialized role with lots of time watching witnesses, the best trimmers have a comprehensive understanding of the race course at all times.
“A nice jib isn’t necessarily what you’re looking for all the time,” Fry points out. To understand why, read his top five tips on trimming headsails.
Create a communication loop
A strong team has a strong communication loop and the trimmer plays an important role in listening and communicating what is needed at all times on the race course. There is always an element of compromise between what the boat needs, what the mainsail sheet trim does and how the boat is steered.
A perfect jib is not necessarily what you are looking for except when you are in perfect conditions. You almost always have to think of other boats, where tactical situations may dictate a different configuration of sails and how the helmsman steers. This is why the communication loop is essential.
Balance rather than beauty
The most important speed objective is for the helmsman to have a balanced rudder. Sometimes you have to twist the sail to give the boat what it needs. In very light winds, you sometimes have to go to the extreme for the boat to run well. This could cause the headstay to sag massively and make the leech look very round in the back. Then, in very strong conditions, it’s about balancing the boat and wanting to go in a straight line with a minimum of helm movement.
As [multiple world champion] Vince Brun taught us this when we were kids: if a gust hits and the boat doesn’t move faster, your trim isn’t right. Something has to change for the boat to feel like accelerating without the helmsman having to do much.
The transverse genoa track allows full control of the jib leech tension for the inner and outer leads without the need to change sheets
Know your fashions
A good calibration will help you get into the right mode for the right situation. It’s about knowing how to change gears quickly and doing it in sync with the rest of the team.
Suppose you want to go into fast forward mode, you will probably move the boom carriage slightly outward. You could make the entry slightly rougher. On a TP52 this might mean making the mainsheet 10mm lighter – which doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re dealing with very flat, high-looking jibs, it’s enough to bump the boat speed up from 9.2 to 9.6. It is a radical change.
Although you won’t see such a jump in less capable boats, the same principles still apply.
When in doubt, go big
Good headsail trim comes from a sailor who knows what headsails he has on board and knows what the crossings are between those sails.
Tactical considerations come into play when deciding which size sail to use in crossing conditions. If you’re going to be riding downhill or in big waves, you may need to generate a bit more power in the waves, so ride with more twist and more depth. But a general rule is to be prepared for lulls.
For example, in a regatta on a typical day in Palma, it is almost always lighter at the bottom of the course than at the windward buoy. So when we go downwind we discuss which jib to choose for the next weather and more often than not choose the largest option to help us through the lulls when exiting the leeward mark. It is easier to reduce the power of a large sail than to enlarge a small sail. So when in doubt, go big.
Witnesses
Make sure you have a row of lights near the luff to give you a clear signal on the headsail trim. The location of these cookies may vary depending on the type of boat you are on.
On some boats you sail gently down the luff, and by using lots of running backstays you can make the entry much thinner, so the helmsman is sailing with the headsail luff slightly up most of the time. In this case you should have a row of batons about 300-400mm from the luff.
On most boats, your normal windward trim will be to have the leeward indicator flowing aft, with the windward indicator rising somewhere between 30 and 45° above horizontal. If you go for speed and foot lightly, then the lights on both sides of the jib will broadcast aft.
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