Definition
Pinching means holding a heading inside the boat's best close hauled angle, so the luff of the headsail starts to lift, leading edge flow separates and speed falls away sharply. Although the angle to the mark looks better, both boat speed and lift from the keel drop, leeway increases and upwind velocity made good falls. Windward telltales lifting or streaming unevenly are the classic indication to bear away a few degrees.
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