Next, try sailing a course which puts you on a reach.  Stay on a fixed course (eg. towards a buoy) and adjust the jib until the tell-tales stream horizontally.  If the windward ones lift, pull in the jib sheet.  If the leeward ones lift, ease out the jib sheet.&nbps; You should find that the adjustment is quite sensitive - adjusting the sheet by only an inch or so making all the difference.

If you stay on course you should find that even slight wind shifts will upset the tell-tales and you will need to adjust the sheets.  In shifty conditions you will find it necessary to adjust the sheets very frequently or, if you are beating, constantly luff up or bear away.  You are now well on your way to being a compulsive tweaker.  I am sorry!

Finally, a word of warning: remember to look where you are going as well as at the tell-tales.  A side effect of being a compulsive sail tweaker is that you run into things - don't I Ray?

David Warren
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