How to Hold the Mainsheet Properly
A simple skill that transforms your sailing
One of the most overlooked skills in dinghy sailing—especially for beginners—is how to hold the mainsheet. It sounds trivial. You pick up the rope, pull it in, let it out. How complicated can it be?
But holding the mainsheet properly is the difference between smooth, controlled sailing and spending your time wrapped in rope, jerking the sail around, or accidentally giving the boom permission to whack you in the back of the head.
The mainsheet is your throttle, your stability control and your gust-management tool all at once. Learning to handle it correctly makes you safer, faster and far more confident.
Here’s how.
1. Use the “Hand Over Hand” Method
The safest and most effective way for beginners and improvers to manage the mainsheet is the hand-over-hand technique.
How it works:
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One hand pulls the sheet in.
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The other hand gathers the slack and feeds it smoothly.
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As the sail fills, you slide the sheet out gently between your fingers.
This gives you complete control, avoids tangles, and reduces the risk of the sheet locking under sudden load.
Avoid the temptation to wrap the sheet around your hand—ever.
2. Keep the Sheet Outside the Boat, Not Under Your Feet
The mainsheet loves two things:
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Tying itself into mysterious knots
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Getting under your shoes exactly when you need to ease quickly
So:
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Keep the sheet tidy and on the windward side.
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Never let it drift under the tiller extension.
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Avoid standing on it, especially on windy days.
A trapped mainsheet during a gust is a guaranteed swim.
3. Feel the Power Through Your Fingers
Experienced sailors “feel” the gust before it hits the sail by letting the sheet run lightly between their fingers.
You should be able to sense:
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Increasing load (gust building)
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Decreasing load (lull approaching)
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Flutter or softness (tell-tales stalling)
This sensitivity helps you react early, making sailing smoother and keeping the boat flatter.
4. The Quick-Ease: Your Best Friend in a Gust
When a gust hits, your first reaction should not be to helm harder—it should be to ease the mainsheet a little.
Practise this:
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Ease 5–10 cm quickly
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Let the boat settle
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Sheet back in gently
This prevents heeling too far, avoids broaches on reaches, and keeps you in control.
The mainsheet is your primary gust-management tool on the Thames.
5. Don’t Oversheet… Ever
A common beginner problem is pulling the mainsheet in far too tightly.
Oversheeting causes:
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The sail to stall
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Loss of speed
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Extra heel
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Poor pointing
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A very grumpy crew
A good rule:
If in doubt, let it out.
On a river where wind direction shifts constantly, sailing with the sheet too tight is one of the fastest ways to stop the boat dead.
6. Keep a Soft Grip
White-knuckling the mainsheet is a sign you’re stressed—and it also makes sailing much harder.
Try holding the sheet with:
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A relaxed hand
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Soft wrists
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Elbows loose
Let the boat move, breathe and respond.
If your grip is rigid, the boat becomes rigid too.
7. Swap Hands Smoothly During a Tack
Changing hands on the mainsheet during a tack is an easy place for chaos to happen.
The cleanest method:
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As the boom crosses, swap hands early
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Let your new sheet hand take control
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Use your old sheet hand to grab the tiller extension
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Keep movements small and calm
This avoids dropping the sheet entirely (everyone has done it!) and keeps the boat balanced during the turn.
8. Keep the Mainsheet Clear of the Transom Corner
On broad reaches or runs, the mainsheet often tries to hook itself around the stern quarter or the mainsheet block.
If it snags, the boom won’t swing properly—and a surprise gybe becomes a very real possibility.
Every few seconds, glance back:
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Is the sheet free?
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Is it running cleanly?
Make it a habit before every gybe.
Final Thoughts
Holding the mainsheet properly is a small skill that makes a massive difference. It improves balance, increases boat speed, prevents unexpected capsizes and gives you real confidence at the helm.
The next time you’re on the Thames, try focusing on your grip, your smoothness and your ability to “feel” the wind through the sheet. Your sailing will instantly become calmer and more controlled—and your crew will thank you for the smoother ride.
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