Halifax Sailing Association   

A WORD ABOUT TELLTALES

    Telltales, a simple device made out of nylon, wool yarn, cassette tape, etc… and attached to a sail, (jib or main), by 

adhesive locator discs or pulled thru the sail with a proper needle and knotted to stay in place.  This wonderful little tool 

is both low cost and very effective, if you position them properly and understand how to read them.  The following should 

help you to do both.  The end result should make you and your boat better sailors and increase your level of fun.

    Let's look at the HEADSAIL first since it’s trimmed first.  Telltales should be positioned 8” to 12” back from the luff, I 

usually use my wrist to my elbow and by dividing the luff into quarters you will put on 3 sets, (port & starboard), one set 

each at the quarter, half & three quarter marks of the sail.  Refer to diagram.  You might have to move the location up or 

down a bit to avoid a seam, which can cause the telltales to hang up.  I prefer adhesive back locator discs made out of 

Insignia cloth.  These seem to work well, come in a variety of colors and allow you to position the port & starboard 

telltales at different levels which will let you see both telltales, (the shadow of the one on the back side during the 

daylight will usually show thru).  If you have acetate trim windows you will have a great view of both telltales.

    When sailing close hauled or close reaching, trim the jib until it just stops luffing.  Notice the telltale on the windward 

side.  When it stops fluttering and lays smoothly against the sail you are in trim.  Check the telltale on the leeward side, 

it should also be streaming aft, lying still and be parallel to the windward telltale.  At this point, check all telltales top to 

bottom.  If they are all performing the same the headsail is sheeted in properly and you are “in the groove”.  If the top 

one is fluttering, move the sheeting block forward a bit.  If the bottom telltale is fluttering, move the block aft.  Once the 

sheeting angle is correct and the sail is trimmed properly, you can use the telltales to drive the boat.  Since they are 

lighter then sail cloth they will tell you when there is a change in the wind and give you a chance to adjust the helm 

before luffing the sail.  Heading up should cause the windward telltail to break first, flying upward.  When falling off the 

leeward ones will break and begin to flutter.  The more you work with them the better you will become at reading the 

information they give you.

   Now let’s look at the MAINSAIL.  Over 50% of all the sails we clean & recondition at our plant and loft in Ford City, PA 

are mainsails, yet fewer then 20% have telltales in place.  Telltales properly installed on the main can tell you a lot 

about the relationship between the headsail and the main and the “slot” between them.  Telltales should be positioned 

on the leech at each batten; usually it takes 4.  In the center of the main a little forward of center you will place a pair 

much in the same way you attached the ones on the jib.  

Put them between the 1^st and 2^nd batten and between the 2^nd & 3^rd batten; again avoid seams.  Refer to the diagram. 

While going to windward with both sails properly trimmed, keep your eye on the leeward telltale on the main.  When you 

have them settled down, lying flat and streaming aft, look at the windward telltales.  At first you will find it difficult to 

have both sides streaming aft.  First try flattening the main.  If the bottom pair looks good but not the top, you are 

close.  Ease the traveler and tighten the mainsheet.  This should firm up the leech and give you the desired look.  Don’t 

get discouraged, a little practice will do wonders.  Now let’s look at the leech.  Exhaust or airflow as it leaves the main 

should have all telltales streaming aft.  This will help to confirm your leech tension setting.  Now move the traveler to 

windward.  The telltales should start breaking at the top and work down.  If it starts at the bottom first, add more leech 

tension.  Make these adjustments a little at a time.  It’s more an exercise in finesse than brute strength.  As you bare off 

and ease your sails out, use the leeward telltales on the jib and the leech on the main to trim well past a beam reach.  

As you have trimmed in, so will you let out.  A little practice will make it second nature.  Don’t get easily satisfied or 

complacent.  When all looks well, I usually ease the sheets a bit and glance at the knot meter.  Here we go again.

    Well now we’ve covered the sails.  How about the rig?  Although you don’t see it a lot, a lone telltale placed just 

above your head on the backstay can be a lot of help as you start down wind.  Make sure it’s not in a location to foul or 

hang up.  So goes the telltale, so goes the boom.  Use the telltale position to square the boom and mainsail to the 

wind.  If your telltale on the backstay is flying forward to port the boom and mainsail should be on the port side, square 

to the wind.  One last tid bit of info.  I like flying a spinnaker and find that trimming the pole and chute is much easier if 

I have a telltale attached to the bridle at the center of the pole.  This helps me to square the pole to the wind, then trim 

the chute.

I hope you find this info helpful.

Good Luck & “Let’s Make Sailin’ a Fun Thing”.

Sails, etc.

Ed Sargent            St. Augustine, FL  32084

sailsetc@ilnk.com    904-810-1966 ofc      904-347-7496 cel

We can be reached at 386- 238-SAIL (7245), info@HalifaxSailing.org, or contact Bill Field