01 - Mainsail Trimming Song

[Intro: deck stomps, concertina, low fiddle] WATCH THE SPEED AND WATCH THE HEEL, FEEL THE PRESSURE AT THE HELM. KEEP HER MOVING, KEEP HER LIGHT, LET THE BOAT SAY WHAT IS RIGHT! [Verse 1: gritty baritone] Trim the main and make her go, Watch the boat and let her show. Speed comes up, the helm stays light, That's a sign the trim is right. Heel too far, you're wasting drive, Spill some power, keep speed alive. Don't just trust a mark or scale, Watch the boat and watch the sail. [Chorus 1: strong three-part harmony] SPEED! HEEL! HELM! READ THE BOAT AND TRIM THE MAIN! POWER ENOUGH, BUT NOT TOO MUCH, TRIM BY SIGHT AND TRIM BY TOUCH! KEEP HER MOVING, KEEP HER LIGHT, FAST AND FLAT AND FEELING RIGHT! SPEED! HEEL! HELM! READ THE BOAT AND TRIM AGAIN! [Verse 2: outhaul lesson] Outhaul sets the depth below, Full or flat, it makes it so. Ease it out, the foot gets deep, More drive there when power is weak. Once she's powered, pull it tight, Flatten out and lose some bite. Full for power, flat when strong, Watch your speed to know what's wrong. [Verse 3: traveler lesson] Traveler moves the boom below, Changes where the main will go. Up for power, down to spill, Change the angle, keep leech still. Puff comes on? Traveler down, Keep her feet beneath her now. Pressure fades? Bring traveler back, Find your speed and find your track. [Chorus 2: three-part harmony] OUTHAUL! DEPTH! TRAVELER! ANGLE! NOW YOU KNOW WHAT BOTH CONTROL! FULL FOR POWER, FLAT WHEN STRONG, TRAVELER DOWN WHEN PUFFS COME ON! WATCH THE SPEED! WATCH THE HEEL! FEEL THE PRESSURE AT THE HELM! POWER ENOUGH, BUT NOT TOO MUCH, TRIM BY SIGHT AND TRIM BY TOUCH! [Verse 4: mainsheet lesson] Mainsheet pulls the leech in tight, Controls the twist from low to height. Ease the sheet, the boom can rise, Top blows open, pressure flies. That's the twist we're talking 'bout, More up high when sheet goes out. Traveler first when pressure hits, Still she heels? Then add some twist. Puff comes hard? Traveler down, Still too much? Let sheet run out. Pressure fades? Sheet comes home, Traveler up and back we go. [Verse 5: vang lesson, wry] Vang ain't only downwind gear, You'll bloody well need it upwind here. When the sheet lets boom rise free, Vang sets how much twist you'll see. Too much vang can close her tight, Too little lets the boom take flight. Set the vang, then ease the sheet, Watch the leech and watch your speed. [Bridge: stripped back, call-and-response] LOWER-MAIN DEPTH? OUTHAUL! ANGLE OF ATTACK? TRAVELER! LEECH AND TWIST? MAINSHEET! SHEET GOES FREE? VANG SETS TWIST! PUFF COMES ON? TRAVELER DOWN! STILL SHE HEELS? EASE THE SHEET! PRESSURE FADES? SHEET BACK IN! THEN WHAT? TRAVELER UP! HOW DO YOU KNOW? SPEED! HEEL! HELM! [Break: fiddle and concertina return] Flat and smooth, then trim for height, Waves need power, speed and bite. Marks can help you find a start, But sailing isn't bloody art by chart. Marks will tell you where you were, THE BOAT WILL TELL YOU WHERE YOU ARE! [Final Chorus: maximum three-part harmony] OUTHAUL! DEPTH! TRAVELER! ANGLE! MAINSHEET! LEECH AND TWIST! SHEET GOES FREE? VANG SETS TWIST! PUFF COMES ON? TRAVELER DOWN! STILL SHE HEELS? SHEET GOES OUT! PRESSURE FADES? SHEET BACK IN! TRAVELER UP, AND GO AGAIN! SPEED! HEEL! HELM! READ THE BOAT AND TRIM THE MAIN! POWER ENOUGH, BUT NOT TOO MUCH, TRIM BY SIGHT AND TRIM BY TOUCH! FAST AND FLAT, THE HELM STAYS LIGHT, THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT IT RIGHT! [Outro: instruments settle into perfect upwind groove] Telltales fly. Leech looks right. Heel is down. The helm is light. Traveler set. The speed is high. Bloody hell... We've got it right. [Baritone Singer: satisfied] When she's set perfectly, don't touch a bloody thing. [Beat] [Skipper Singer: loud, excited, shouted] READY ABOUT!!!! [Silence] [Baritone Singer: exasperated] For fuck's sake, You've got to be kidding me! [Skipper Singer: shouted] TACKING! LEE-HO! [Concertina stab, frantic boot stomps] [End]