Sailing
When should I reef my sail?
Polyvalk
The Valk is a medium-sized open sailing boat, a two-man
competition class built of plywood in hard chine with a fixed keel.
Nowadays especially the polyester version is very popular for recreation
and sailing lessons; in this case the boats are called
polyvalks
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⛵️ more about polyvalks
Reef your sail
Reefing is simply
making a sail smaller. This is usually done in response to
the increasing wind. Reefing down a sail allows you to continue sailing
without being overpowered. This keeps the boat under control and often
makes the journey more comfortable. A sail that is too large for the
wind conditions could be dangerous as it provides too much resistance
for the boat. Putting off reefing, especially for a squall or very
strong winds, is a bad idea. It can result in the sail ripping, the boat
heeling over dangerously or even the mast breaking.
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What to do with my sail?
- Full sail
- 1 Reef
- 2 Reefs