The vang: what it is, what it is for, and how to use it to modify the mainsail
THE PERFECT GIFT!
Give or treat yourself to a subscription to the print + digital Journal of Sailing and for only 69 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.
Aboard a sailboat we will all have heard the word vang at least once. Rigid, hydraulic or textile, the vang is one of the crucial maneuvers for handling the mainsail, and its use is important in all gaits and wind conditions.
Vang: what it is, how to use it, what it is for
The system allows you to adjust the vertical position of the boom, thus changing the profile of the mainsail and leech in particular. Cocking it upwind for example leads to tensioning the leech of the mainsail, flattening the sail and giving a little bend to the mast.
This adjustment is done upwind in a strong wind, while in lighter air you simply have to point it, so as to give the correct shape to the mainsail (which must be rather twisted and powerful in leech, so soft spade). In medium-light wind, when we lay to windward, the vang instead should be caulked a little more than upwind to spread the sail more and offer more surface area to the wind.
In carrying swells with sustained wind, the system is essential to depower the sail. Leaving it, if there is a risk of overstress, will raise the boom, warping the sail and unloading it.
The function of the vang is so important that on a racing boat it will be useful to have a person proposed to this task. Even when cruising, it is important to keep the top of the vang handy, especially if we are sailing in strong winds.
Share:
Check out the latest issue
Are you already a subscriber?
Ultimi annunci
Our social
Sign up for our Newsletter
We give you a gift
Sailing, its stories, all boats, accessories. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the Sailing Newspaper editorial staff each week. Plus we give you one month of GdV digitally on PC, Tablet, Smartphone. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button. You will receive a code to activate your month of GdV for free!
You may also be interested in.
Special Rig is the new Italian distributor of Gori Propeller propellers
As of Jan. 1, 2025, Special Rig, a brand of Armare Ropes, is the new exclusive distributor for the Italian market of the famous Gori Propeller propellers, a brand best known for its folding blade propeller models. The Gori Propeller
Routage, the magic word from ocean racing that also helps cruising sailors
During these two months of the Vendée Globe, with our “Process”, the live talk with which we comment weekly on what is happening on the round-the-world race, we have tried to understand more about routes, strategies, and weather. Helping us
VIDEO Winches, blocks, hi-tech eyebolts for your boat. We tell you about them
It’s easy to say deck equipment! In the sea of accessories available for one’s sailboat, it is often difficult to find one’s way around. Every single tool has a very specific function and so many different declinations, just think of
Give (or give yourself) the perfect winter sailing apparel for Christmas
Christmas is 10 days away, and if you still haven’t thought of a gift to give to an avid sailor, you don’t have to worry: we’ll help you. If you have already given – or have given yourself – a
