Not until 1906 was this little device discovered when during a regatta, a competitor whose boat had never shone, suddenly became a consistent winner. Acute examination of the dinghy after sailing revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

That evening the member was plied with complimentary drinks on an alarming scale which gave rise to his becoming quite comatose. His secret was safe for another day.

After the next race in which the new hero romped home, he was left strictly alone at the bar, with dark mutterings all around him. Quite unnerved by this erratic behaviour he produced a piece of wire from his pocket and held it out. The result was electric ! He was instantly popular again.

Well of course that was back in 1906 as I mentioned, when chaps did the right thing by one’s friends and shared all things.By connecting the boom to the foot of the mast with wire, the boom ceased to rise or ‘kick’, not allowing wind to spill from the mainsail. Thus was leech control born.

Anyone trying to hold down the end of a boom in even a light breeze will realise at once just how much effort is required or, conversely how much extra power could be generated by the mainsail if efficiently controlled.

Looking at the mainsail ashore when almost head to wind, it is easy to see the back end or leech of the sail curving back on itself, thus creating a hollow in the cloth. This natural cut of the sail creates the aerofoil section which causes lift or in a boat, thrust, the components of which can be broken into both sideways and forward directions.

In light airs this natural hollow is so deep that the air is almost trapped and thus any holding down of the boom would make the hollow bigger and the air completely trapped or ‘stalled’ as it is called. Thus no kicker and every effort made to reduce the hollow by flattening the sail. That is achieved by bending the mast more.

Ok. Then when do we start to apply the kicker (or boom vang as it is called in some other countries )? Well after a certain wind speed the leech starts to blow open by itself, especially at the top and so we apply more kicker pressure to prevent our precious aerofoil section being lost. We want to try and arrange that as much as possible of the sail is efficient, which is not as simple a task as it sounds. The telltales on the back of the sail will indicate when there is too much kicker pressure applied as they will not fly. Continuous attention and adjustment is required : thus also an efficient kicker. The triple sheave set of blocks and tackle will at best give only a seven to one theoretical purchase. A great deal of that is lost in friction and on a windy day, the effort required to apply sufficient pressure will be quite remarkable. The cascade wire system is much more efficient, with little friction and no stretch.

Please note that unless you have a tree trunk for a mast, it will bend as kicker is applied and your new found toy will have little effect. Mast restraint is therefore essential. Chocks, mighty screw or strut – as the wallet allows, must be part of your equipment.

Having achieved the windward mark in great fashion, the course is now downhill and the boom is well out much broader to the wind . On fresh days you will be bathing immediately unless pressure is reduced and kicker released before rounding. The same of course goes for the centreboard which must be lifted so that pressure is reduced and the boat does not trip over itself. Once in control on the reach the pressure can be adjusted so that the air can be spilled or held in (to put it crudely )to maximum advantage.

At the gybe mark it would seem a good idea to release all pressure in the sail so as to not have the boat heel violently as the main swings across in impressive style. All well and good in light and medium winds, but as things become more lively the top of the mainsail actually bends forward without any kicker restraint and by itself is trying to heel the boat over to windward : difficult to visualise but true. Terrifying thought !

Here again the kicker must be quite firmly applied to prevent that doom laden feeling that often occurs at such moments. The technique used is to keep the boat going at maximum speed straight downwind and then flicking the main over. Still upright ? Then come on up to the course required and spare a thought for those wallowing upside down behind you.

The foregoing as described is just a simple outline of kicker adjustment. A great deal of experience is required to have an instinctive feel for how much or how little is needed. This can be achieved as quoted by a three time Australian Fireball World champion and also evidently a great herbalist and entomologist." Thyme in the boat mite ". Why not give it a try ?

R.L.S.