The sail between the headstay and the mast.
Airflow over the sails needs to be organized so that the air can move from
the leading edge of the JIB through to the leech of the mainsail with as
little interference as possible. This means that the angle of attack of the
jib needs to be constant throughout its height. The three sets of telltales
should therefore collapse at the same time. If the top one collapses first
the leech of the genoa must be tightened. If the bottom one goes first then
the leech should be eased.
A common mistake is to oversheet (tighten) the sails. This not only closes
the slot but also stalls the airflow over the leeward side of the genoa.
Easing the sheet will have a dramatic effect, and provided that the top of
the jib is not collapsing, will immediately improve speed.
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