Marine Surveyors Lexicon

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Center Of Effort (CE)(Sail)


The fore and aft and up and down point on a sail at which the pressure of the wind is concentrated. The geometric center of the sail. The higher CE, the more leverage the wind has to heel the boat. When there is more than one sail, CE's will be given on the drawing for each sail plus a combined CE. On a triangle, the CE is the point at which the lines bisecting each angle cross. The location of the CE fore and aft, affects the way the boat turns into the wind. See Lee and Weather Helm.