Reefing the Sails – When the River Gets Punchy

 Reefing the Sails – When the River Gets Punchy

pmrsailing.uk – Learning to Sail at 65+ on the River Thames
#pmrsailing #RS_Toura #ReefingTheSails #RiverThamesSailing #SailingAt65

One week, we’re drifting in circles under a sky of barely moving clouds. The next, the River Thames decides to flex its muscles and give us a proper workout.

Today? It was 18mph winds at Upper Thames Sailing Club, and that’s just about the point where we say:
“Right. Time to reef.”

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🪁 What Is Reefing (and Why Bother)?

Reefing is sailor-speak for reducing the sail area to stop your boat doing unwanted gymnastics. It helps keep you upright, in control, and—crucially—on the boat.

Because while full sails are lovely in light airs, in heavier winds they can feel like you’re harnessing the power of a small hurricane. The boat heels, the rudder fights back, and your crew starts giving you that look.

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🧵 Different Boats, Different Reefing Styles

Turns out, not all reefing is created equal. Here’s what we’ve learned:

🌀 Rolling Reefing

Some dinghies roll the bottom of the sail around the boom like a giant Swiss roll. Very neat. Very tidy.
Except when you do it badly and it looks like you’ve tried to reef a picnic blanket in a gale.

🎹 Concertina Reefing (RS Toura Style)

Our lovely RS Toura doesn’t roll. It concertinas—gathering the mainsail into neat horizontal pleats that get tied down to the boom with reefing points.

It’s like origami for sailors. You fold, tie, and hope you’ve remembered all the knots correctly while the boat flaps enthusiastically beside you.

Pro tip: Don’t wait until you’re on the water to figure it out.

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📐 When Do You Reef?

Here’s our unscientific but experience-based scale:

• 0–5mph: Wish you had a paddle

• 6–12mph: Lovely sailing

• 13–17mph: Getting exciting

• 18+ mph: Reef now unless you enjoy swimming

• 25+ mph: Find the bar

Today was firmly in the "Reef or Regret" category.

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🔧 Top Tips from the Riverbank:

• Reef before you launch. Doing it on the water is like trying to pitch a tent in a wind tunnel.

• Practice it in calm weather so you don’t look like you’re fighting a particularly angry duvet.

• Make sure the sail shape still looks like a sail—not a deflated balloon.

• Communicate with your crew—or just bribe them with snacks to hold the boom steady.

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🚤 Final Thought

Reefing isn’t about giving in to the wind—it’s about working with it. A well-reefed boat sails beautifully, comfortably, and keeps your tea in the cup rather than your lap.

And let’s be honest—sometimes, being a little smaller in the sail department makes you a much bigger sailor in the long run.

#pmrsailing #ReefingTheSails #LearningToSail #RS_Toura #UpperThamesSailingClub #SailingInStyle #ThamesWinds #SailingAt65