Which combination of adjustments will flatten the jib and move the draft forward?

• A. Increase backstay tension and increase jib halyard tension
• B. Increase backstay tension only
• C. Decrease backstay tension and increase jib halyard tension
• D. Move jib leads forward

Answer: (A)

To flatten the jib and move its deepest point forward, you want to reduce the sail’s camber and shift where the draft sits. Increasing backstay tension bends the mast backward, which unloads fullness in both sails and moves the maximum draft forward on the jib. At the same time, increasing jib halyard tension tightens the luff, reducing curvature in the jib and further flattening it. Together, these adjustments flatten the jib and push its draft forward, improving upwind performance.

If you only tweak the backstay, you flatten the sails but may not shift the draft position enough. If you only tighten the halyard, you reduce fullness but without mast bend you won’t move the draft forward as effectively. Moving jib leads forward can change shape, but it doesn’t produce the same combination of flattening and forward draft as the two adjustments together.