Use Leech Telltales for Perfect Lightning Jib Trim

Many one design classes are fortunate to have some nice guides to help set their jib trim properly. Some use tape marks on spreaders, splash rails, while some just use tape marks on their jib sheets so they have a close ball park placement for sheet tension after every tack.

The Lightning is fortunate to have the spreader marks as a great guide. Depending on the jib, sometimes the sheet gets trimmed so the leech is as much as 6” in from the tip, while other jibs never trim harder than 3-5”. Acceleration requires the jib eased so the leech is at 1 ½” in or even at the spreader tip in extreme light, lumpy conditions.

However, there is the perfect guide, the “final check” that Lightning Sailors can use that will help position the jib sheet and trim perfectly every time! Many jibs, and for sure the new Evolution Lightning jibs have telltales placed on the leech at the top batten, just above and just below. When the jib is trimmed perfectly these telltales will flow straight off the leech, unlike the main where the leech telltale will flow only 25-30% of the time.

With the jib leech telltales (don’t confuse with the luff that help as a guide to steering) you can trim the jib in until the telltales just start to stall and then ease back out until they just flow. In flat water and perfect 8-10mph breezes you could push the guide a little more and sail right on the edge of the leech telltales stalling. When its windy or light and shifty and acceleration is key avoid ever letting the telltales stall.

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