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Gus Sails Racing Success = Sail Design Success
  1. Sail with a loose headstay in light to moderate air to power up the jib and "decrease" the sheeting
    angle.  Do this by loosening the shrouds and backstay.
  2. Sail with a tight headstay in breeze to de-power or flatten the jib and "increase" the sheeting
    angle.  Do this by tightening the shrouds and backstay.
  3. Rake the mast forward in light air to increase the chord length on the sails and close up the slot
    between the jib and main.
  4. In light air, induce mast bend with the standing rigging to flatten the front of the main.
  5. In breeze, prevent mast bend with the standing rigging as mainsheet tension and backstay will
    bend the mast enough.
  6. Rake the mast aft in breeze to decrease the chord length on the sails and open up the slot
    between the jib and main.
  7. (Upwind) Trim the middle of the jib leech parallel with the centerline of the boat in moderate
    air.  Twist the leach open in light or heavy air.
  8. (Upwind) Trim the top batten of the main parallel with the boom in moderate air, twist the leach
    open in light or heavy air.
  9. (Downwind) Trim the top batten of the main parallel with the boom by adjusting the vang.
  10. Put your jib car in a position where the bottom of the jib is slightly flatter than the middle of the
    jib.
  11. In light to moderate air, have wrinkles or scallops in the jib luff and wrinkles in the main luff.
  12. In breeze, take out the scallops and wrinkles with the jib halyard and main cunningham.
  13. On a sloop rigged boat, start with the boom on the centerline in light to moderate air, then put
    the traveller down in a breeze.
  14. On a cat rigged boat, start with the boom off the centerline in light to moderate air and put the
    traveller further down in a breeze.
  15. In light to moderate air, use no boom vang upwind.  In breeze, use increasing amounts of vang.
  16. Upwind, sail with a slight leeward heel in light air;  flat or with a slight windward heel in
    moderate air; and a slight leeward heel in a breeze.
  17. Sail the boat heeled to windward downwind.
  18. When running downwind, sail with the spinnaker pole as far down and aft as possible to make
    the spinnaker seem bigger.
  19. Upwind, sail with the outhaul tight in light or heavy air, and loose in moderate air.
Gus Sails Universal Tuning Tips
I have won championships in numerous classes and many tuning ideas transfers from class to class: