Headsail Trim & Material Selection for Bluewater Cruising

with

Erica Georgaklis

Port Townsend Sails

Master your mainsail—learn to select the right materials, construction, and design, and trim it like a pro in any condition.

90-Minute Live Session

On Demand Replay Available

Live Q&A

A cruising vessel’s headsails will be one of the most significant investments in a sail inventory. It is critical a sailor understand both the constrains and details to using, maintaining, and ensuring headsails perform as desired throughout their lifespan. This is all the more critical for sailor’s headed offshore for extended passages.

FREE

Headsail Trim & Material Selection for Bluewater Cruising

Online class overview

An in-depth look at a variety of headsails: their construction, material selection, and what will contribute to excellent shape stability and superb longevity. How to optimize your headsails through proper trim and ideal use, and properly balancing your vessel for long term, satisfying cruising.

Who is this online class for?

This is a fantastic course for cruisers looking to head offshore, or with some sailing and coastal cruising under their belts. An intermediate course geared to self sufficient sailors eager to enhance their understanding of sail trim.

What will I learn?

Expect to leave this course with a good grasp of the basics of headsail trim including primary and secondary tools, and how to utilize them in a variety of changing conditions, reefing techniques and tools, storm sail use, and rigging. We will also cover a variety of materials, construction details, and design techniques to utilize with your sailmaker when designing and selecting headsails.

List of topics:

Rig Designs
Mainsail Designs
Cruising Sail Materials
Construction Details
Light Air and Heavy Air Mainsail Use
Reefing Techniques
Mainsail Trim Basics
Mainsail Trim Tools
Mainsail Trim in Changing Conditions

CHOOSE THE RIGHT HEADSAIL

BUILD A SAIL WARDROBE THAT LASTS

A quality headsail is one of the most important investments you’ll make for your cruising boat. Learn how sail materials, construction methods, and design choices affect durability, shape retention, and long-term performance so you can make informed decisions when purchasing or upgrading your sails.

TRIM FOR EVERY CONDITION

Proper sail trim is about more than speed—it’s about creating a balanced, comfortable, and efficient boat. Discover how to adjust headsail trim for changing wind strengths, reef effectively, use storm sails with confidence, and fine-tune your sail plan using the primary and secondary trim controls available on modern cruising boats.

CRUISE FARTHER WITH CONFIDENCE

Whether you’re preparing for coastal adventures or extended offshore passages, understanding your headsails allows you to sail more safely and efficiently. You’ll gain practical knowledge you can apply immediately to improve boat balance, reduce wear on your sails, and get the best performance from your sail inventory throughout every voyage.

Your Host

Erica Georgaklis

Erica Georgaklis grew up sailing in New England and later settled in the Pacific Northwest, where she now manages Port Townsend Sails. With extensive cruising experience on both coasts, and offshore miles in Mexico and Scotland, Erica brings a rich background in sailmaking and seamanship. After working under legendary sailmaker Carol Hasse, Erica continues to share her deep knowledge of sail construction and trim with passionate cruisers around the world.

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Online Class Registration

Tuesday August 18th, 2026

@ 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET (90 min)

Regular Price

ASA Member Price

On-Demand Access

All registrations include unlimited on-demand access to the recordings of the live online class. So if you are unable to attend live you can still register and watch at your leisure.

ASA MEMBER DISCOUNT

American Sailing Members can claim their discount in the Member Portal. If you’re not a current member then for only $59/year you can join or renew today!

Online Course
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- Headsail Trim and Material Selection for Bluewater Cruising
ASA Certification
ASA Online Achievement Seal
- ASA Online Achievement Seal
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By completing this entire course you can earn an ASA Online Achievement Seal - an official ASA seal that can be entered into your ASA Logbook!
Official ASA Logbook
- ASA Logbook
  $29.99
The ASA Logbook is a living document that chronicles your certifications and can also be used to keep a record of any and all sea-hours accrued along the way. If you chose to earn an ASA Online Achievement Seal and don't have an ASA Logbook then you *must* chose this option and purchase one.
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