Interactive trainer
Drag the boat around the wind. Watch the point of sail change name, the boom swap sides as the tack changes, the sails ease as you bear away, and the apparent wind swing forward as the boat speeds up.
Point of sail
Beam reach
Wind across the beam, roughly 90°. Often the fastest point of sail for a cruising boat; sails about halfway out.
← starboard tackhead to windport tack →
| Point of sail | Off the wind | Sail trim | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-sail zone | 0–45° | Sails luff; no drive | Head to wind. The boat stops (“in irons”). To go upwind you tack a zigzag along the edges of the zone. |
| Close-hauled | ≈45° | Sheeted in hard | As close to the wind as the boat will go. Most heel, most leeway, sails almost on the centreline. |
| Close reach | ≈60° | Eased a little | Between close-hauled and a beam reach. Comfortable and quick. |
| Beam reach | ≈90° | About halfway out | Wind across the beam. Usually the fastest and most forgiving point of sail for a cruising boat. |
| Broad reach | ≈135° | Well eased | Wind over the quarter. Apparent wind drops, so it feels lighter than it is — a common reason to be caught with too much sail when you turn upwind. |
| Run | ≈180° | Right out | Wind dead astern. Sails act as a parachute, not a wing. Keep the wind on the opposite side to the boom or you are sailing by the lee and risk an accidental gybe. |
Angles are the conventional teaching values; the exact edge of the no-sail zone depends on the boat and the sea state.
4 quick questions. Pick an answer, check it, and read why.
Check yourself
Question 1 of 4
Sailing skills
The points of sail from close-hauled to a run, the no-sail zone, and the difference between true and apparent wind — with an interactive explorer and the vector picture that explains why your tacking angle is wider than you expect.
9 min read
Sailing skills
Telltales are airflow gauges, not magic. What attached and separated flow look like, what each telltale pattern means, when to trim and when to steer, and how leech telltales reveal twist — with an interactive trainer.
10 min read
Sailing skills
Sheet, traveller, vang, outhaul, halyard and Cunningham, jib cars and backstay — what you move, what changes in the sail, what the boat feels like, and when you would use each. Fundamentals first, racing detail later.
11 min read
The Basic Keelboat Theory course drills points of sail, sail trim, tacking and gybing with illustrated questions and an explanation on every answer. Free to start, no account, offline.
Related guide: Points of sail, and why the wind moves when you do.
