Writings

Shifting the sails on a downwind course

Shifting describes a sailing maneuver in which one or more sails are moved to the other side on a downwind course (unprofessionally: "wind from behind") without changing course.

Fonts and necks

The Schifte are technically essentially a neck , but without the associated change of course. This slow or, depending on the skill of the crew, abrupt change of course makes the jibe a very dynamic and risky maneuver. The speed at which the sails must be operated largely corresponds to the speed at which the course is changed. Experienced regatta sailors jibe boats of almost any size faster than they can turn, with the appropriate equipment also with spinnakers. Since the Schifte should not have any course change, it can be carried out almost as slowly and in a controlled manner down to the smallest detail. Only jumping around the sails when the wind pressure changes from one side to the other can lead to restlessness, heeling and luffing due to the load change. If the sails are shifted one after the other, the forces distributed over several load changes are lower and, in particular, the risk of luffing is reduced.

When sailing and, in particular, sailing license training was systematized in Germany in the 1970s, there were three reasons for changing the position of the sails and changing the course. Initially, it was hoped that this would simplify the didactics. Secondly, the jibe with course change could now be presented and taught as a logical complementary maneuver for turning, and thirdly, the now more demanding jibe maneuver with its defined course changes could be more precisely recognized and assessed in an examination. The components of the old course, maneuver introduction, fast writing, maneuvering and the new course must be clearly identified.

The sharp demarcation between shafts and jibes is a specialty of German sailing training. Beginners and sailors, in particular, who draw their experience from training-related events (e.g. charter trip with a sailing instructor) attach great importance to such terminological subtleties, also as proof that they have not forgotten anything. An experienced crew doesn’t care whether the maneuver announced as a jibe and not further commanded was preceded by a proper descent or followed by a luffing. She must and can take it as it comes.

Until the introduction of the Schifte no conceptual distinction was made between a jibe with and without a change of course. Strictly speaking, the jibe maneuver was not at all associated with the accompanying course changes. For sailors without a German sailing license, that was and is the preparatory and reworking work to carry out the jibe. Whether and to what extent this work is necessary depends on the situation. A foreign sailor will always refer to a German Schifte in his language as a jibe and possibly add the words calm, exemplary or textbook-like.

The term “write” is the Germanization of a previously constructed pseudo- Anglicism . This was necessary because until the invention of the pegs there could not be any German or foreign-language name for it, unless "halsen", but the word was still used elsewhere. "To shift" or as a "reaction to shifting wind" became "to shift" and from this, "write" in German in spelling and grammar. The technical language of the German sailing sport of that time owes such useful additions as barberholer , preventer , blister or kicker (rigid tree vang) to such word creation methods .

Possible reasons for writing

to prepare a foreseeable necessary change of course

to prepare for another change in the feathering position

to allow for a change in wind direction without having to change course

to initiate or end "butterfly sailing " : The shifting of only part of the sails enables "butterfly sailing" "flat in front of the wind". The fore and mainsail are on different sides (on a sloop, i.e. a single-masted ship)

to free yourself from the obligation to give way. The possibility of stealing oneself from the evasive obligation by writing results from the combination of the KVR rule 12 ) b), which defines that side as the windward side (windward) that is opposite the large tree, and on the other hand the KVR rule 12) a) I) which obliges a sailboat with port tack to avoid a sailboat with starboard tack (i.e. with the mainsail on port).

Remarks

↑ Derived from engl. Barber Hauler ( barber hauler or trim line, presumably named after its inventor), refers to a permanently installed haul point for the spinnaker or jib sheet that can be adjusted with a pull line . In English, however, one understands this to mean an additional trim line that is usually only used provisionally and depending on requirements.

↑ Derived from engl. " to prevent " was meant to express the safety function of the backstage. In English " the preventer " refers to the German bull stand . English sailors therefore misunderstand the term preventer .

↑ Blister (English for bubble ) is the translation of an amateur belittling for the spinnaker: "(large or colorful) bubble", which until around 1960 was called "(space) balloon" in German as a counterpart to the "cross- Balloon "called Genoa . English sailors understand the expression blister not a sail.

Individual evidence

↑ KVR - single standard. In: www.gesetze-im-internet.de. Retrieved June 4, 2016 .

literature

Schult, Joachim: Segler-Lexikon. Bielefeld: Delius Klasing, (13th edition) 2008, ISBN 978-3-7688-1041-8
Harbord, Davis J .: Seafaring AZ. Munich: F. Schneider, 1987, ISBN 3-505-09664-4
German Hochseesportverband Hansa e. V. (Ed.): Seamanship. Yachting manual. Bielefeld: Delius Klasing, (21st edition) 1990, ISBN 3-7688-0523-9