Tradecraft topics: Shifting gears

Next in a series of postings concerning sailing tradecraft, offering various tips on technique, is the topic of shifting gears. Changing/shifting gears in sailboat racing (or in a car on a racetrack) is critical to maximizing performance in various conditions. If we don't adapt to changing wind and waves, we are missing potential boatspeed and height advantages. 

Many racers like to name 3 (like my venerable 3-on-the-column Pontiac Tempest) or 5 (like my Mustang GT), but I like 4 (like my old MGB) primary forward gears to characterize upwind sailing.  

First gear: PINCH

What:  Heading up slightly higher than best VMG, compromising speed for height.  

When:  When boat is up to speed in ideal conditions – steady wind and flat water. Or, in heavy air when you cannot hike the boat flat enough and there is need to depower. Use when forcing a windward boat up, sailing up through swells, or rounding a mark, if necessary. Be ready to change gears back to POINT or PRESS if speed drops, and don’t get caught in PINCH mode when the boat is slow.

How:  Flat sails and flat entry, a narrow angle of attack, closed leeches, and slightly more stalling of air flow on the windward side of the sail. 

• Main sheet tight with upper leech hooked in slightly and top leech telltale curled behind sail and streaming only occasionally.
• In heavy air, traveler eased so boom is below centerline.  In light air, traveler above centerline to benefit pointing.
• Vang and outhaul very tight to regulate power.
• Cunningham tensioned to keep mainsail draft at 40-50% aft. The entry shape of the sail should be flat. This makes for a narrower groove, but better pointing.
• Jib luff very tight.
• Jib sheet very tight with windward luff telltales lifting about 90 degrees from horizontal. Leeward telltales streaming. 
• Jib fairlead car moved forward for flatter jib, less twist, and narrow point of entry.
• Backstay very tight to flatten main and jib. 
• Avoid steering so high that the windward luff tales are chaotic, and the luff of the sail too soft.
• Hiking hard to avoid excess leeway and boatspeed dropoff.   

Second gear: POINT

What:  Sailing "in the groove" in good conditions - flat water, light to moderate wind. Somewhere between POINT and PRESS is the best combination of speed and height for maximum VMG. 

When:  Use when the boat is up to speed and conditions allow retaining the speed. 

How:  Flatter sail shape, narrower angle of attack, slightly closed leech, and slight stalling of air flow on the windward side of the sail. 

• Main sheet tight with upper leech parallel to boom and top leech telltale active - alternatively flowing and disappearing behind the sail about 50% of the time.
• Vang and outhaul tensioned to regulate power.
• Cunningham tensioned as the wind builds to keep mainsail draft at 40-50% aft and just a hint of horizontal luff wrinkles.
• Jib sheet tight with windward luff telltales lifting occasionally about 45 degrees from horizontal. Leeward telltales streaming.  
• Jib mid-leech hooked slightly to windward.
• Small luff along the front of the jib occasionally.
• Jib fairlead car in reference position.  In-hauler applied, if feasible.
• Moderate backstay tension to reduce headstay sag.
• Hiking hard to avoid steering too high or easing the main too much.

Third gear: PRESS

What:  Very slightly bearing off the wind for more power. Somewhere between POINT and PRESS is the best combination of speed and height for maximum VMG. 

When:  Use when wind conditions are puffy and sea state is wavy. This gives a more forgiving groove than POINT mode. Also use in very light air when it is important to keep the boatspeed up. 

How:  Fuller sail shape, wider angle of attack, attached flow over the entire sail. 

• Main sheet eased with upper leech on mainsail flat or slightly twisted open, top batten parallel to the boom, and top leech telltale streaming almost all the time.
• Traveler pulled to windward so boom is on centerline.
• Vang tension eased.
• Outhaul slightly eased.
• Cunningham tensioned to get mainsail draft slightly forward, which results in less side force.
• Jib sheet eased with windward luff telltales streaming ("pressing" the windward luff tales to the sail) or slightly lifting from 10-40% above horizontal occasionally. Leeward telltales always streaming.
• Jib fairlead car moved aft for fuller, more powerful jib shape.
• Hiking against the extra power.

Fourth gear: POWER

What:  "Putting the bow down" footing off for acceleration. Compromising height for speed. 

When:  Use for straight-line sailing in very light air, especially if there are more waves than wind. Use at the start of the race to accelerate into a slot, after a tack to build speed, to gain separation from a windward boat, to punch through motorboat wake, sailing in disturbed air.

How:  Full sail shape, wide angle of attack, attached flow over the windward side but breaking off the leeward side. 

• Main sheet eased with upper leech on mainsail twisted open and top leech telltale streaming full time.
• Mainsail top batten angled slightly to leeward for twist.
• Vang tension off.
• Outhaul slightly eased.
• Cunningham tensioned to get mainsail draft slightly forward, which results in less side force, while still showing horizontal wrinkles on lower mainsail luff.
• Jib sheet eased with windward luff telltales always streaming. Leeward telltales generally streaming and slightly lifting because of detached flow.
• In light air, jib fairlead car moved aft for twist and fuller, more powerful jib shape. In moderate to heavy air, jib fairlead further forward.
• Jib luff tension loose with hints of horizontal wrinkles along luff.
• Backstay slack for maximum headstay sag.
• Hiking hard against the extra power!

Best angle and speed yields best VMG:

Jib telltales (windward=red, leeward=green):

For more information, watch a video on Shifting gears upwind, from Sailjuice blog, Sailing 101. Note that this podcast numbers gears in the opposite order I do above. I cannot make sense of this, having driven 4-, 5-, and 6-speed stick shift cars for 60 years. Also, read Do you have the right touch, Bruce Goldsmith et al., SailZing.com magazine. This article treats many factors in managing sail trim and steering for best performance in changing wind conditions.     

I had a 1968 MGB (4-speed, of course) that looked just like this one.

[Updated February 24, 2026]