How do I know if I am close hualed and how do I know how much to pull in my sail?

[Vidhur100]

This may sound dumb but I am trying to get into sailing my laser more competitively and I always have trouble knowing if I am pointing close hualed. I try and head up but by the time I go past it my butt is in the water and I am getting windward heel. Even when I am close hauled by some miracle I cant figure out how much to sheet in the main sheet. I competitively sailed 420s for 4 years so I am used to just looking at the jib telltales but I feel like the ones on my main in my laser don't tell me anything. Can anyone help?

 

[Eyeper]

Try looking at the luff of your sail. If it is "luffing" you are too close hauled. (Unless it's way windy you want that sail to be full, no matter what your telltales are telling).

 

[LaLi]

Keep the traveller always tight so that the traveller block goes as far outboard as possible. Sheet the boom down so that the traveller block and the aft sheet block on the boom are never more than about 25 cm apart (this may go down to zero depending on the conditions and the sail you're using). Always pull the slack out of the vang; it will be much tighter than on a 420.

Forward telltails in an una rig work basically the same way as they do on a jib in a sloop rig, but in practice they aren't that helpful. In underpowered conditions, just keep the area just aft of the mast just barely from luffing. When you want to depower, head up but don't overdo it In good hiking weather you'll have a "bubble" in the front of the sail all the time (and telltales will be useless). When it's really blowing, you have to let some sheet out (with the vang super tight) to keep the boat moving. That will be more like sailing the 420.

When you get to actually race against other boats, it will be more self-evident what to do and how high to steer.

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