Sailing To Win Blog!

TRIM FOR VARYING WIND AND SEA CONDITIONS

Boat Speed and Handling

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27/11/2025

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Trim for varying Wind and Sea Conditions

When it comes to boat speed, most sailors know their trim settings in flat water and a steady breeze.

The real difference between a good sailor and a great one is the ability to adapt — making constant, subtle gear changes as the wind and sea conditions evolve.

Sailing isn’t static; neither should your setup be.

SAILING TO WIN BOOK & BONUSES

Understanding Why Gear Changes Matter

Think of your boat as a finely tuned machine. Every sail control, every rig adjustment, and every bit of crew movement changes how it behaves.

In light air, you’re searching for power and flow; in heavy air, you’re controlling heel and keeping balance. The aim is to keep the boat in the groove — always driving, never stalling, and never fighting the helm.

Making good gear changes is not about reacting to problems; it’s about anticipating them.

If you wait until you’re overpowered or wallowing in waves, you’ve already given away speed.

Great sailors are always half a step ahead, trimming or tuning in anticipation of what’s coming next.

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Reading the Wind and Sea

Before making any adjustments, start by observing:

Wind strength: Is the breeze building, or are you in a lull? Are the gusts sharp or gradual?
Sea state: Are the waves long and rolling or short and steep? Longer waves let you steer more smoothly, while short chop demands extra power and careful balance.
Boat feedback: Your helm and sails will tell you everything. If you feel weather helm (when the tiller pulls against you) or you’re constantly feathering up, it’s time to depower. If the boat feels sluggish or the telltales droop, you need more power.

A Real Example: Adjusting Mid-Race

A few years ago, during a blustery state championship, I watched a top crew in the fleet make the most disciplined gear changes I’ve ever seen.

The race started in 12 knots but quickly built to 18 with a sharp chop.

Half the fleet left their setup from the first beat — vang on hard, outhaul tight — and as the breeze increased, they struggled.

The fast team, on the other hand, made small changes constantly. They eased the outhaul slightly for the first set of waves, then added more Cunningham as the wind filled.

When a lull hit mid-leg, they eased the vang just enough to power up again.

The result? They weren’t just faster — they were smoother. The boat stayed balanced, the crew’s rhythm never broke, and they rounded every mark in control.

That’s what great gear changing looks like — proactive, not reactive.

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Key Adjustments to Master

Increasing Breeze

Flatten the mainsail: tighten the outhaul and Cunningham to open the leech and reduce heel.
Tighten rig tension if adjustable; this controls mast bend and headsail shape.
Ease the traveller slightly to keep balance without pointing too high.
Shift crew weight to windward earlier than you think — balance is speed.

Lighter Winds or Flat Water

Ease the outhaul to add depth and power.
Reduce Cunningham to allow the sail’s draft to move aft for more acceleration.
Keep the vang just firm enough to maintain leech tension without closing the top of the main.
Move crew weight forward to reduce drag and keep the boat’s transom clear of the water.

Choppy Seas

Don’t depower too much — you’ll need a fuller sail to punch through waves.
Ease the sheets slightly to maintain flow and drive.
Focus on smooth steering — aim to guide the boat over the waves rather than through them.
Use heel to your advantage; a gentle, consistent heel helps the boat track and absorb chop.

Fine-Tuning Your Feel

No two days are the same. The most effective sailors are constantly feeling how the boat responds.

Is the pressure on the helm consistent? Is the boat accelerating cleanly out of tacks? Small adjustments every few minutes — even a quarter-turn on the vang or a slight tweak on the traveller — keep you tuned in and connected.

A simple mental trick: check three things constantly — Boat speed, sail shape and helm feel.

If any of them change, it’s time to change gears.

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Common Mistakes

Changing too late: If you’re reacting to problems rather than preventing them, you’re behind the game.
Over-adjusting: Big, sudden changes upset balance. Think small and frequent.
Ignoring sea state: Many sailors tune for wind alone, but waves often have a bigger impact on speed.
Neglecting feedback: If the boat feels sticky, don’t blame the conditions — make a change.

Action Conclusion: Be Proactive, Not Reactive

On the water this week, challenge yourself to stay ahead of the conditions. Don’t wait for the breeze to shift or the waves to slow you down — adjust early and often.

Every gear change is an experiment that teaches you more about your boat.

When the conditions change, act decisively: ease, tighten, move, or trim — then feel the difference. That’s where your real speed comes from.

Consistent, confident gear changing turns ordinary sailors into adaptable racers who thrive no matter what the course throws at them.

So next time you’re out there, make “anticipate and adjust” your mantra.

Your boat — and your results — will thank you.

CHANGING GEARS

Boat Speed and Handling

Brett Bowden

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06/11/2025

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Changing gears and knowing when and how is essential if you want to compete at the pointy end of the fleet.

How many times have you crossed the finish line in 5 knots, having started in 15-20 knots and realised that your rig and boat are still at their original settings?

Constantly think about settings as the breeze fluctuates.

I think most of us are good at adjusting our settings and rig tensions as the breeze increases, but conversely are less diligent as the breeze drops. Powering up is essential as the wind velocity drops, and this is where big gains can be made against the rest of the fleet.

Being slow to react to a change in conditions can be really costly. If you suddenly find you are going slow, don’t have the height of the boats around you, or that lane you had has now disappeared, think about why.

You are on the wrong tack and are frantically searching for another lane to tack into. The reason you are in this predicament is that while you were preoccupied trying to find a better lane, you hadn’t changed gear.

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Why the best sailors constantly win

The best sailors can change gear effortlessly. While they are steering the boat fast, they can reach in and pull a little Vang or Cunningham on, or move the centreboard up or down without affecting boatspeed.

Most of us are reluctant to reach in to adjust controls and change gear, as our steering suffers. This results in the boat heading up or down, losing speed, while our more competent competitors slowly ease away.

Practising making adjustments on the fly during training sessions is essential to improve that aspect of your racing.

Crews must continually communicate about the feel as adjustments are made. Ensure that you give the boat and team time to settle in to confirm that the adjustment has been effective.

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Understand what effect each control has

Understand what each of the controls on your boat does and the effect they have on the sail shape and trim.

Depending on the class and type of boat you sail, some controls will be more effective than others at depowering or powering up the rig. Most classes have a sailmaker’s guide on the fastest settings for your type of boat. Use these as a guide or starting point.

In many cases, the guide is generic and doesn’t take into account your team’s weight, the brand of mast you are using (to name a few) or the sea conditions you are encountering on the day.

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Sailing at different venues

Different venues with their associated conditions require different amounts of gear changing.

Speak with the locals at a new venue to see what to expect and plan accordingly. If the information is sparse and it is a multi-day regatta, arrive a day or so early and get out on the course to learn the conditions and plan accordingly.

Lake sailing is likely to be gusty with a large variation in wind velocity, requiring regular adjustment of the controls. If you are sailing at a venue with large headlands or high topography on one side of the course, plan for gusts and shifts.

Start by prioritising a couple of key controls to adjust. Often, it’s the Vang, Cunningham and outhaul, especially in a single hander like a Laser or Aero.

Work out what gives you the biggest “bang for your buck” in your boat and start with those.

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Conclusion

Don’t try to gear change for every gust and lull. Not only will you quickly become exhausted, but you’ll be so busy with your head in the boat that you will lose sight of the bigger picture strategy.

The length of the gust or lull should determine whether to change gear or not.

Pre Start Intel

Starting

Brett Bowden

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22/10/2025

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Pre-start intel will have a great bearing on how you will finish in a race. You must get out on the course at least 45 minutes before the starting signal.

The things that you need to do are to make sure you are set up to go fast in the prevailing conditions, work out what is happening with the wind and do your starting line research.

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Gather wind readings.

Sail upwind with the speed team, tweaking the rig and sails to get the best speed to match the wind strength and sea state. The tactical team will be working out the wind patterns and recording changes in direction to work out whether the shifts are oscillating or persistent.

Note the range of headings on port and starboard tacks and also determine the timing of shifts. This will help you to work out the mean direction on each tack and will enable the tactician to call tacks and Gybes so you sail the shortest possible distance between marks.

During this upwind fact-finding sail, you should also be taking note of other tactical considerations like current, potential geographic shifts and varying wind conditions across the course.

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Set your boat up for speed.

Have a tuning partner and hit the track early with them to compare relative height and speed.

Upwind – If you’re pointing well but not going forward, make your sails flatter. If you have speed but no height, make the sails fuller and tighter leech, especially the main.

If you’re lower and slower, make sure you’re set up according to your sailmaker’s tuning guide. Experiment with different settings, and ask your tuning partner how they’re set up if they’re beating you.

Downwind – Try different sailing angles, crew placement and heel to work out which mode gives you the best VMG. This is where a tuning partner is essential.

The benefit of tuning before the race is that it allows you to gain confidence in your settings and boatspeed. This frees you up to look around while racing. Unprepared sailors have their heads in the boat trying to go fast, and their tactics suffer as a result.

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Research the starting line.

Around 15 minutes before the start, begin getting your head in the race. Once the start line is set, commence your start line research and formulate your starting strategy.

Get a line sight by sailing to the end of the line away from the land and sight through the committee boat to an object on the land that is in line with both ends. Then sail down the line using that sight to get comfortable with being on the line.

Sail up the line to work out how long it takes to get to each end and keep an eye on the compass to mentally record the heading.

When the weather mark has been set, note its direction and then do a head to wind on the line to work out the line bias and favoured end.

Don’t be content with doing this once. Be prepared to carry this out continuously up until the start to track changes in wind direction as this will help to determine your race strategy.

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One final thing.

Do a brief upwind sail again to see if anything has changed. Check your compass again and make sure the boat still feels right for the conditions. Observe your angle compared to the line.

Visualise how the fleet will come off the line at that angle and factor that into your final game plan. Your angle off the line should correspond to the favoured-end research you did.

If not, then there’s either been a shift or the committee moved the line. Be prepared to re-jig your game plan.

BOOM VANG BASICS

Setting Sails and Boat Tuning

Brett Bowden

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29/09/2025

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Boom Vang Basics. The boom vang helps control and maintain mainsail twist, keeping your sail performance dialled in and offering opportunities to trim with more finesse.

The vang control should be led back to where the helmsperson in a single-handed or small crewed boat can easily reach it without having to look down.

Likewise, on a larger, multi-crewed boat, the vang control should be positioned where the trimmer has instant, easy access.

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Uses and effects of the vang

The vang assists in controlling the height of the boom and can, in some cases, provide extra stability.

Use the vang to counteract too much leech twist. This happens when the trimmer has reached the limits on the mainsheet or traveller.

When you ease the mainsheet, you sacrifice power and speed. As you ease the sheet, tighten the vang to maintain the angle of the boom (and so, the twist).

How do we know when to adjust the vang?

Your upper leech tell-tales on your mainsail will tell you.

The vang is a useful tool at all angles, but is essential when beam reaching or wider. The vang will pull down on the boom and maintain a good upper leech angle, reducing mainsail luffing.

Vang Upwind

A crucial component of efficient upwind sail trim is twist. Different amounts of twist are needed depending on the prevailing wind and wave conditions.

When sailing upwind, twist is controlled using mainsheet and vang tension, and the correct twist is determined by using the mainsail telltails.

If your vang is pulled on too hard, you will not be able to add twist by easing the mainsheet.

When you sail into a lull, you need to adjust the mainsheet and vang tension. This gives the necessary twist to keep the telltails flying and to reduce drag.

In light wind and choppy conditions, having the right vang tension will help to keep the boom from bouncing erratically.

In heavy air, the outhaul, backstay and Cunningham are on tight, plus the traveller will be down. To help with pointing, you will employ a combination of sheet and vang tension to keep power in the lower leech.

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Vang when Reaching

When reaching, the vang is the only control that affects mainsail twist. As the boom is eased beyond the quarter of the boat with the traveller down, the mainsheet is no longer effective at holding the boom down, so the vang takes over.

A good indicator of good vang tension is if the top batten is as close to parallel with the boom as possible, usually ending up at 25° off parallel.

When tight reaching in windy conditions, it is important to be proactive rather than reactive with the vang, especially with a spinnaker up.

It is nearly always too late if you are waiting for the call “blow the vang”.

Vang when Running

When running, the mainsheet is completely ineffective at controlling mainsail twist. Pull the vang on to keep your top batten parallel to the boom.

This keeps the mainsail fully projected to the wind.

A common mistake when running downwind in heavy airs is blowing the vang when the boat begins to roll.

In a panic, someone blows the vang, thinking it will prevent a broach, as it does on a reach. Unfortunately, the opposite happens. The mainsail depowers completely, the spinnaker takes over, and the imbalance can gybe the boat.

Psychology and Sailing

Psychology

Brett Bowden

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30/07/2025

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Psychology and Sailing – Thanks to mate Andy Rice of the Sail Juice newsletter for the next couple of paragraphs highlighted in italics.

When I read these, the folly of continuing to seek and then pay for the latest gear to give me an edge suddenly became apparent.

“In one-design racing, where your equipment is the same as everyone else’s, there are only two ways to beat your opponent – through superior physiology (your size, weight and fitness) or through superior psychology (just about everything else!).

Psychology is perhaps one of the most neglected parts of sailing – it’s always easier to mess around with your boat than with your mind, isn’t it!

Sorting out the way your mental approach and the attitude you bring to your racing is one of the most effective ways of improving your results on the water.

Learning new mental skills will do you more good than buying a fancy new tapered mainsheet or auto-ratchet. What’s more, these skills will never wear out, and they won’t cost you a penny either!”

Another great attribute of top sailors and champions is a Never Say Die attitude.

No matter how bad things get during a race, the best sailors do whatever it takes to get the job done.

There is a great reason for this, and that is, until the gun fires to greet the winner, anything can happen.

One of the skills of any elite athlete is the ability to set a goal.

Setting lofty goals is important, but it’s the process of achieving that goal that yields success or failure and your enjoyment of the process.

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

If I am the closest to perfection, I will win, right? It is a dangerous mentality that often leads to unhappiness and can actually stop progress towards a goal.

A sailor with a perfectionist mindset is focused on the outcome, not the process.

These athletes tend to place unreasonable demands on themselves and are quick to criticise failures, which ultimately causes them to avoid failure altogether.

The perfectionist views other competitors and coaches as potential critics and therefore tends to avoid feedback.

Following is a list of the attributes needed for a sailor pursuing excellence:

Focus on the process of the task rather than the outcome.
Value themselves separately from the achievement. Based on the willingness to try rather than whether the goal was achieved.
Set realistic but challenging goals that are clear and specific.
Be willing to examine performance and personal vulnerabilities to improve.
Focus on achieving goals to attain personal satisfaction rather than the need of others to recognise their success.
Be prepared to risk failure because of the benefits that occur from taking a risk.
Recognise that change occurs with consistent effort over time. Have the patience to continue pursuing goals even when there is no immediate change.
Finds enjoyment and satisfaction in the pursuit of goals.

Final thoughts

Many sailors leave no stone unturned about their equipment, their practice of technique, and even their physical conditioning.

They seek help to accomplish this from sailmakers, coaches, and strength and conditioning trainers, and yet some stubbornly pursue improvement of their mental game on their own.

I have just finished reading the “Inner Game of Tennis” by W. Timothy Gallwey. Although it is written about an unrelated sport, the psychological aspects are easily transferable to sailing.

We can’t tackle the psychological aspect of our sport on our own, and books like this increase our learning.

Minimise Sailing Risk

Brett Bowden

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16/07/2025

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Minimise Sailing Risk and don’t take unnecessary chances!

The notes below were put together by super coach, sailing legend and good friend Dave Dellenbaugh of the Speed and Smarts newsletter. https://www.speedandsmarts.com/

To consistently finish near the top of the fleet, you must follow a conservative game plan. You should minimise risk or exposure by sticking to tactics and strategies that have a high probability of success.

Of course, there are situations when it’s all right (or even smart) to take a chance, but your general approach should be to avoid risky decisions, maneuvers, tactics and strategies.

Below are 13 ideas on how you can minimise risk around the race course. If you implement as many of these as possible, your finishes should be more consistently near the top of the fleet.

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Learn the racing rules.

Knowing the rules is the best way to avoid breaking any rules. Take some time to regularly review the rulebook. Besides reducing your risk, it will put you in a much stronger position tactically and help you stay in control of your race. (Don’t forget your class rules, too.)

Study the notice of race and sailing instructions.

If you really want to minimise risk-taking, don’t ever sail a race without reading all the regatta rules first. This is an easy, foolproof way to avoid the kind of embarrassing mistakes that can cost you a regatta.

Work hard on boatspeed.

Improving your boatspeed may be hard work, but it can give you a huge return with no risk at all. In addition, good boatspeed will help you recover from mistakes. It lets you take slightly bigger risks (in search of slightly bigger rewards) while reducing your downside.

Practice boat handling maneuvers, especially in heavy air.

When you’re racing, there is always at least a small risk whenever you perform a maneuver (e.g. heavy-air jibes). To minimise this risk, practice as much as possible, especially in stronger winds, and try to avoid high-risk maneuvers while racing.

Check over your boat and gear.

Another easy way to lose a race or regatta is by having something break. Therefore, if you want to reduce your risk, be sure to check your boat carefully before every race. Pay special attention to areas of high wear like the boom vang, hiking stick, hiking straps, halyards and so on.

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Aim to finish in the top three or five, not first.

If you try to win every race, you will probably take too many risks to beat all the other boats. A better idea is to aim for the top 5 or so instead. Just as you don’t need the best start to win a race, you don’t need first places to win a series.

Keep your head out of the boat.

To avoid bumps in the road, keep your eyes on where you’re going. Anticipate, anticipate, anticipate. Keep the big picture firmly in mind so you won’t sail into a position where you are left with only high-risk options.

Avoid close encounters with other boats.

If you foul another boat, it can be very costly, especially if it’s early in a race. Therefore, to reduce risk, keep clear of other boats.

Be willing to take a penalty.

No one likes to admit they broke a rule or do circles in the middle of a race, especially when they’re not sure they were actually wrong. However, when you go to a protest hearing you typically have a 50% chance of losing.

So, if you really want to minimise risk, your best move is to take a penalty (be sure to read the SI’s to see what penalties apply)

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Don’t take fliers.

The greater your separation from other boats, the more you are at risk. Therefore, stay away from the corners and laylines of the course, and avoid sailing off by yourself.

Make a strategic plan and follow it.

Much risk-taking results from decisions that are made on the spur of the moment. To avoid this, get out to the course area early, develop a race strategy and use this as your guide for decisions during the race. Of course, you should modify this as necessary during the race.

Sail the longer tack first.

In other words, stay on the tack where your bow is pointed closer to the next mark. This gives you the best chance of success because it will keep you closer to the middle of the course in a position where you can best play the windshifts and handle other boats.

Cover the boats behind you.

When you want to stay ahead of the boats behind you, cover them by positioning your boat between them and the next mark. This will minimise your risk of losing them.

STEERING A SAILBOAT FAST

Steering

Brett Bowden

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02/07/2025

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Steering a sailboat fast is the responsibility of the helmsperson.

The rest of the crew takes care of tactics, strategy and sail trim, with the helmsperson concentrating on telltales, instruments and “feel.”

The role of steering is easier when the trimmers communicate with the helmsperson about sail trim, target speeds and so on.

Communication must go both ways. The helmsperson knows how the boat feels, and must constantly let the trimmers know whether the boat feels sluggish, overpowered or “in the groove.”

To steer, you have to turn the boat continually. Some of these course changes are very small, such as when you want to pinch slightly upwind. Other times, like tacking, you have to turn the boat through a large change of course.

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

There are three ways to make a boat turn:

Rudder — The disadvantage of the rudder is that it functions as a brake. As soon as you turn it more than a little bit, the water flow separates and the rudder stalls.
Sails — Using the sails to turn: If you want the bow to head up, trim the main and ease the jib. If you want the bow to head away from the wind, trim the jib and ease the main.
Heel — When your boat is upright, the underwater profile is symmetrical, and it will go straight. When the boat heels to leeward, the underwater profile becomes asymmetrical, and the water flow makes it head up, producing windward helm. Conversely, windward heel makes the boat head down and produces lee helm.

When you are steering, you should use all three methods no matter how slight your course change, and this will keep the boat going as fast as possible.

Take Account Of the Conditions:

Keep track of everything that’s going on around the boat

What the waves are doing,
How fast is the boat going,
How close to the wind are you heading,
Your performance compared to other boats,
Approaching puffs and lulls.

You can’t afford to look at any one of these things alone and have to watch them all at the same time.

SAILING TO WIN BOOK AND BONUSES

Things the helmsperson needs to know:

Approaching waves and flat spots, and how severe they are.
Puffs and lulls, and how soon they will hit.
Changes in wind direction (predicted by using ripples on the water or other boats).
Pointing and speed relative to other boats
Meeting with other boats that may require a steering change
Continual update on genoa and mainsail trim.

Depending on the number in the crew and relevant skill levels, jobs should be given to different crew members. This keeps them involved and spreads the load.

Helm Load

About 3-5 degrees of rudder angle is fastest when sailing to windward.

If there’s too much weather helm, the rudder will create excess drag. Not enough weather helm means that you will lose some or all of your “feel.”

To decrease Helm – flatten the main (and genoa) by tensioning the backstay and outhaul. Move the crew weight outboard and aft and flatten the boat by pinching more and easing the traveller.

To increase Helm – move crew weight to leeward and forward to increase heel. Make the main and genoa more powerful by easing the backstay and outhaul, and add rake to move the sail plan aft.

The lift generated by the rudder helps the keel prevent the boat from sliding to leeward and reduces the leeway angle as well.

The Groove

Being “in the groove” is where the boat feels good and performs well. The goal of the helmsperson is to keep the boat in this groove as much of the time as possible.

You can make the groove wider and easier to find by giving the genoa a wider leading-edge angle and a more draft-forward shape. The disadvantage is that you won’t point as high as possible, and sometimes the windward telltale will seem insensitive to steering changes.

Reduce headstay sag to make a narrower, higher-pointing groove. Remember that the more you flatten out the front of the jib, the more “critical” the sail will become, and the harder it will be to stay in the groove.

Other Steering Tips

Chop vs. waves – Bear off and power through chop, but steer around waves – up the face and down the back side.
Light air – Keep the boat moving, or you will lose apparent wind and will have to accelerate again from scratch. The trimmer should communicate with the helmsperson to avoid stalling the boat.
Medium air – Concentrate on pointing, especially in flat water.
Heavy air – Note the angle of heel, steer and trim to keep the boat from excessive heel. Take a bite to windward when overpowered. Bear off to sail through big waves and head up in flat spots.
Tacking – Use weather helm plus crew weight and sail trim in lighter air to let the boat head up slowly into the wind. As soon as the boat is head to wind, give the rudder a harder push to accelerate the turn.

How To Sail Faster

Boat Speed and Handling

Brett Bowden

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25/06/2025

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There are 3 simple rules for how to sail faster. It’s easy to overcomplicate sailing, so let’s look at these simple rules to keep you focused on more speed.

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

1. Sail In More Wind

Make sailing in more wind your number one priority. Dark patches on the water represent more wind. Wear polarised sunglasses to help you see the distinction between puffs and lulls on the water.

Stand on the boom in a keelboat and scan the course for the most wind. If you’re dinghy sailing, stand up to get higher so you can see further up the course.

You should always be asking yourself, “Am I sailing in the most wind available to me on the course that I am sailing?”

Having a clear lane gives you more wind as well. Wind follows the path of least resistance; it will flow over and around groups of boats. Remember, the bigger the group, the greater the effect, so avoid packs of boats, and you’ll have more wind.

If another boat tacks or gybes on you and closes down your lane, don’t sit in their shadow, gybe or tack away and find a better lane.

There may be a time when you consider sailing in a bad lane. This could happen when it is very shifty and the potential gain from the next shift outweighs the loss of speed. A 20 to 30 degree shift with pressure may justify sailing in bad air briefly.

2. Sail to the Mark

Your heading on one tack or gybe will point your bow more toward the mark than the other. The plan should nearly always be “Sail the long tack first”

This is the lifted tack upwind and the headed gybe downwind. The rule of thumb is to tack on headers upwind and gybe on lifts downwind.

If the wind is shifting or the course isn’t square, ask yourself, “If I were to tack or gybe now, would I be aiming more toward the mark?” This helps you make sure that you are always on the long tack.

If you are not sailing the long tack, make sure there is a very good reason.

A couple of good reasons to sail the short tack first are that you’re sailing toward more wind, getting a better lane, or sailing towards a significant gain, such as favourable current or a geographic shift.

Another exception is sailing into a heading persistent shift, but these are somewhat rare.

3. Keep it Simple

Keeping it simple means avoiding crowds, not tacking or gybing too much, and avoiding drama.

Minimise maneuvers as they slow you down, so doing fewer of them will help you go fast. In other words, sail straight and sail fast.

Avoid drama when you encounter another boat on the course; get in the habit of waving them through if you want a particular side of the course, even if you have rights.

There is nothing worse than forcing another boat to tack or gybe and then being lee bowed or becoming entangled in a hurried and failed crash gybe.

How To Communicate Your Performance In a Fleet

Crewing and Teamwork

Brett Bowden

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19/06/2025

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All team members must know how to communicate your performance in a fleet.

Comparing your performance to another competitor during a race is an underrated part of sailing a boat competitively.

It’s important to talk about what is happening on your boat, but even more important to communicate what’s happening relative to your nearest competitors.

FREE PDF BOOK – 49 TIPS

Immediately After the Start.

It’s essential to start calling your relative position to your competition as soon as possible after the start. The first few minutes are a critical boatspeed part of the race, and the sooner your team can get locked in, the better.

Identify which boat you are calling relative positions against. As an example, “I have us with (name of boat, or bow number or name of skipper)”. Knowing who you are gauging performance against is important.

Always refer to your boat first. For example, say, “Higher, same speed.” To avoid any confusion, don’t refer to them first. If they are higher than you, state, “We are lower.”

When you are about To Tack or Gybe in Heavy Traffic.

When calling a tack or gybe with boats around you, the helmsperson needs to know where you would likely end up. Would you be behind them? Would you cross them? Would you hit them amidships?

If you must tack or gybe for tactical reasons and a collision is possible, alert the crew that after tacking, they will need to steer down and ease momentarily to cross behind a boat. It is essential to also name the boat to avoid confusion.

Common Calling/Communication Errors and Remedies

We start the race, and nobody says anything. Silence is deadly, and we come off the line in a low mode that is not optimal VMG. To fix that, we need to identify who we are calling relatives against and make it clear how your team is going against them.
We don’t take note of the True Wind Direction or heading before starting the relative calls. We state we are losing a lot to the boats above us, oblivious to the fact that the wind has lifted us 15 degrees. We start changing settings to try to improve based on the feedback, but we only perform worse and lose a lot. The fix is to make sure that you always note the TWD and heading before comparing boat relatives.
We aren’t going well, so we stop calling relatives. Nothing is done to address the performance issue, and we lose places because of it. To fix that, be consistent, be honest and keep the process the same throughout the race.
The boat above you has a poor start, and now they are in your quarter waves, going even slower. You keep calling relatives on them because they are closest to you. Your team thinks they are going well based on your calls. But the boat you are calling is compromised. To fix this, make sure that you cast your eye around the fleet and check your performance relative to all boats around you.

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Conclusion

It’s important to compare your relative performance against all your competitors, not just the boat in your immediate vicinity. When you do so, be clear, confident, accurate and consistent.

If there is no one left to call relatives against, hike hard and do your best with all maneuvers. Continue to roll tack, set gybe and drop spinnakers as efficiently as possible and carry out tacking and mark rounding as though you were under boat-on-boat pressure.

TACTICAL MISTAKES TO AVOID

Strategy and Tactics

Brett Bowden

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23/05/2025

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The number of tactical mistakes to avoid in our sport is massive, so to help, I have outlined below a couple that we have all made, and some ways to remedy them.

BOAT END START

There are many ways to get into trouble during a start sequence, and I will outline two of the main ones below.

The first is to be early with no place to go. You can’t bear off because there are boats below, and you can’t sail high and slow enough to kill the necessary time.

This is a miscalculation of speed, time, and distance. The way to overcome this is to practice multiple starts before the real thing. This will give you a sense of timing and the position of the line.

If early, accelerate, tack around the committee boat or gybe behind the boats who have had better judgment. In either case, you will end up late at the boat and in the second or third row.

However, you will not have fouled or been over early. The good news is that you will be able to tack immediately for clear air.

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PIN END START

Starting at either end of the line raises the risk factor.

You can be early and run out of room to kill speed before you reach the line, with no options due to the boats around you or the proximity of the pin.

The secret is to realise that you are in trouble early and commit to going around the pin and gybing back to start correctly. Alternatively, if you are not too close to the pin, bear off below the pin, gybe, and start on port.

Both of these are quick moves that will lose the least amount of time.

PORT AND STARBOARD

It is about anticipation and understanding your options so that you do not get caught having to do crash manoeuvres.

These are – attempting a marginal cross, the last-second duck, or desperate tack and involve a high likelihood of a foul and possible visit to the room.

The first option is to tack. You can “Lee Bow”, but you should only execute this if you can comfortably cross. If it is close, you have to tack early, well to leeward.

Option two is to duck. Start early with a smooth bear away and come up as you cross the port tacker’s transom.. The next time you come together, you will be on starboard.

If you are looking to continue to the right side of the course or are enjoying a big lift on port, ducking is the best option. If it is getting time to be leading back to the middle of the course, tacking is the way to go.

WEATHER MARK PORT TACK APPROACH

There are many times when you have been forced to the left, or you were chasing pressure and held on a little too long, and you end up with a port tack approach.

Chances are that you will meet a wall of starboard tackers, and hope you can find a gap or pull off a magic lee bow. Remember that if a starboard tacker has entered the 3 boat length circle on starboard and you cause them to alter course, you are in the wrong and can be protested.

Another scenario is you find you are not quite making the mark. Choices? Hit the weather mark or bear off, gybe around and face the same scenario again. If it is close at the weather mark, you have to duck.

You would have been better off anticipating and tacking earlier to avoid having to duck too many starboard tackers.

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LEEWARD MARK

The mistake most sailors make is to wait until the last possible moment in the hope of establishing an inside overlap.

Not only is the burden on you to prove that you got there prior to the three-boat-length circle, but it will also put huge pressure on your team’s mechanics to pull it off.

There is not enough to gain. Take down early for a clean rounding. Come in wide and out tight so you have clear air and good acceleration.

If the boat ahead has had a proper rounding and is affecting your air, you have the option of tacking away.

NOTES

In each of these scenarios, the principle is anticipation and recognising that things are not going to plan.
Act sooner rather than later.
Know what your bailout options are and go straight to them.