On a Laser, you have only a few trim lines you can adjust during sailing. You can change the shape and therefore the power in your sail with the sheet, Vang, Outhaul and the Cunningham.
Each option will change the Draft (shape/ depth) of your sail and therefore the power your sail will generate. In the Video you will learn how your Cunningham works. For the complete trimguide video and the new Laser MKII sail, check out The complete guide to how you should set-up your Laser sail!
When you pull at a corner of the sail, you will actualy move a bit of fabric to the part of the sail you're pulling. So in the case of the Cunningham, you're pulling fabric to the front of the sail.(to the mast) This has a direct infuence on the draft and shape of the sail. Because their is more sail fabric at the front of the sail, you will also move the draft of the sail forward! This also means that the middle and back of the sail will flatten. As you can see in the image below.
As we explain in the video, the Cunningham has the most influence on the top part of the sail. Therefore in strong winds, the cunningham is one of the most important trimline to set-up your sail correctly. Flattening the top of the sail, means less power, where the wind has the most leverage to push your boat over. This makes it easier to sail the boat, and faster! Check out how to adjust te Cunningham in the video below.
As you can see, the cunningham has a huge effect on the draft of the sail, and flattens the top part of the sail. To have maximum result, the Cunningam, Vang, Sheet and Outhaul, should always be adjusted together. Depending on the conditions, you can arrange the power of the sail and create speed or height with the right setup.
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