What Telltales Tell Us

The wind is invisible, but there are ways we can see how it is flowing across our sails. I’m talking about those funny little tufts of wool or nylon stuck to the sail, and because our jib telltales can tell us a lot, let’s start here.

JONATHAN MCKEE

Telltales are the most ubiquitous and simplest piece of equipment found on any sailboat, and even in this age of powerful race electronics, nothing is more reliable or true than these trusty yarns—or fabric strips—that serve as our guide to good sail trim. They’re an effective teaching tool for beginning racers, especially those on the headsails, so let’s focus on the basics of our jib telltales. There are two fundamental uses of telltales: We can use them as guides to steer by, as the lower luff telltales indicate how the oncoming wind is interacting with the front of the jib, or we can use them to help us trim the jib more effectively, using the telltales at the upper luff of the sail, and especially the leech telltales. It’s true…

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Sailing World (Digital) - 1 Issue, Fall 2021

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