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Different Steering Techniques

Brett Bowden
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Different Steering Techniques

Not enough sailors use Different Steering Techniques For Different Winds.

When Wind Speed Changes

When the wind speed changes you need to focus on heel and pitch angles, adjusting each for the optimum boatspeed.

As the wind builds, you use heel angle as a guide using the sails to keep the boat on its feet. It’s good to have rules of thumb to help you sail the boat as fast as possible in all conditions.

Guidelines help the helmsperson steer and give the crew a reference for how they need to react to changes.

For lighter winds, telltale sailing is appropriate. The helmsperson works hard to stream the telltales at all times for maximum speed. The crew then moves their body weight to create the fastest heel angle.

In overpowered heel-angle ­sailing conditions, the helmsperson can steer much more freely. Focus on a consistent heel angle while the crew hikes hard. For light air, it’s all about maintaining speed; and in a breeze, it’s all about the heel angle.

Light Air Conditions. Different Steering Techniques For Different Winds

The angle of heel is controlled by the crew, communication from the helmsperson or mainsheet trimmer is essential to coordinate the team’s movements. In really light conditions, tell the team just how much heel is needed to make the boat feel as fast as possible.

The jib trimmer needs to be to leeward, playing the jib and when shifts come. The helmsperson needs to sail deeper to gain speed, and the jib trimmer is there to trim or ease. What the steerer is trying to achieve is to sail straight with minimum rudder movement, and keep maximum speed. Too much rudder movement creates drag.

Slow crew movement affecting the heel encourages the helmsperson to head up in puffs and bear away in lulls. This wastes power in puffs and height in lulls, and reduces speed. Sailing straight, as opposed to heading up in a puff, or bearing off to pick up speed connects the wind to the jib and it never stalls. 

Helming in a building Breeze. Different Steering Techniques

With the crew now on the rail, trim the sails in a bit and steer up a little in the puffs. All the time communicating with the main trimmer to keep the boat on the best angle of heel. Be mindful that as the chop starts to increase, you can’t pinch up as much in the puffs.

In flatwater its acceptable to head up in the puffs a little to keep the heel angle down. Steer up just enough for a small amount of telltale lift which in turn should encourage the crew to hike harder.

Overpowered conditions. Different Steering Techniques For Different Winds

Overpowered is where the wind has built to the point where everyone is fully hiked and the traveller needs to be dropped or the mainsheet is eased depending on how your boat is set up.

As long as the boat’s moving at a decent speed, you can head up as much as you need to keep the boat flat.

In the breeze, even luff the leading edge of the jib when a big puff hits until you get sorted. Next ease the main, tighten the backstay or drop the traveller, whatever you have to do to depower.

If it’s breezy but the water is flat, you can pinch because there are no waves to slow the boat.

When you’re sailing in waves and pressing on the telltales to go faster, watch for flat spots.

In a blustery breeze, you can make big gains by balancing the concepts of sailing by the telltales and sailing by heel angle. Knowing what your desired angle to the wind is and then factoring in lifts and headers along the way.

Ways A Beginner Can Become A Winner

Brett Bowden
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Ways A Beginner Can Become A Winner

There are plenty of ways that a beginner can become a winner.

There are an enormous number of ways that we can get better results out on the racecourse, not the least of which is time on the water. Unfortunately, time is not something that many of us have to spare in any great quantity.

I have laid out below a few basics for those starting out on their journey to improve and although the list is not exhaustive, I believe it is a great starting point.

Smart Sailing To Windward.

  • Set your sails for the conditions before the start to make sure you are fast off the line.
  • Be sure that you note how the wind is shifting before the start.
  • Make sure that the helmsperson and crew work together through the tacks to maintain boatspeed.
  • Maintain clear air at all times.
  • Be constantly aware of where other boats are on the course – don’t be taken by surprise.

Calculating Wind Direction

  • Calculate where the wind is coming from by keeping track of your close-hauled headings.
  • Record the compass headings on each tack and calculate the wind direction as a midway point between the two.
  • keeping track of course headings and wind direction whilst in the heat of competition can get confusing so to get in the habit of practising this skill while you are out daysailing or cruising so it becomes second nature.

Rounding The Windward Mark.

  • Keep crew weight on the windward rail as long as possible.
  • Prefeed the spinnaker to help separate the clews.
  • Ease the main but only ease the headsail a little to help pull the bow down and also make it easier to drop on the deck.
  • During a gybe set with a symmetrical spinnaker, get the spinnaker drawing first then worry about the pole.

Spotting New Wind.

  • When you are looking for wind shifts and puffs, go with any evidence you can find. Patches of dark rippled water or whitecaps are good indicators.
  • Keep an eye out for other boats or indicators onshore such as flags, trees or smoke. 
  • To get better at this skill, get in the habit of being on the lookout for new wind even when you are out for an afternoon sail with friends.

Downwind Sailing Tips.

  • Either you or a member of your team should keep looking astern for shifts or more breeze.
  • In light to moderate air, always gybe downwind to take advantage of apparent wind.
  • Generally depending on the type of boat you sail, dead downwind is slow, especially under 15 knots of wind.
  • Play the shifts so you are sailing on headers whenever possible.
  • Boats with asymmetrical spinnakers need to sail higher and hotter angles to get the spinnaker out from behind the mainsail.

Avoiding Trouble On A Reach

  • Avoid a luffing match by being aware of other boats so you are not taken by surprise.
  • As other boats catch you or you catch other boats, think through your options. Anticipate the tactical situation that you are about to face and act decisively. If the competitor you are dealing with realises you are fully aware, they are less likely to take you on.
  • Sometimes it makes sense not to try to pass another competitor if it could slow you down allowing those behind to overtake you.
  • If someone tries to overtake, sail up a little to keep yourself between them and the mark but don’t sail as high a course as the competitor astern.

Leeward mark tips.

  • Always go in wide and out tight unless traffic does not allow this.
  • When coming around onto a beat, trim the main in first letting the jib lag to help bring the bow around so less rudder-induced drag is created.
  • If there is a crowd at the leeward mark it often makes sense to drop the kite early so you can look for a way to sneak around inside the gaggle.

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Why You Should Consider Starting In The Middle Of The Line

Brett Bowden
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Why You Should Consider Starting In The Middle Of The Line

There are reasons why you should consider starting in the middle of the line.

Starting towards the centre of the line offers more advantages than starting at the ends. This is so even if one end may seem to be favoured. 

  1. The first advantage is that it gets you away from the congestion at the favoured end thus lessening your chances of being blanketed by other boats and helping ensure that you avoid a potential collision. 
  2. Secondly, it gives you more flexibility to decide who you start beside. It allows you to select a marshmallow to get off the line without being challenged.
  3. A third advantage is that mid-line sag is a feature of any race with large numbers of boats. Your knowledge of this will allow you to start a boat length or more in front of others around you.

Why You Should Consider Starting In The Middle Of The Line

On a day where there is not a massive reason to start at one or the other, especially in an oscillating breeze, a mid-line start puts you in a good position to play the shifts and sail conservatively up the middle of the course.

On a day when one side of the course is heavily favoured, a start about one-third from the favoured end is a better option. This keeps you away from the aggressive starters and congestion but keeps you in touch with the fleet giving your more options due to less traffic.

Some classes don’t allow electronic line pinging instruments. To get a good mid-line start, it is essential to establish line sight transits. This ensures you are close to the line when the gun goes.

If you are unable to get a line sight, a good reference is to observe the boats at either end. If you are not close to being in line with them, you are more than likely well behind the line.

Sight the line by looking from one end to the other, swing your gaze to the windward of the boat. When you swing your gaze leeward, you get the impression that you are closer to the line than you are.

To get an effective line reference when you can’t use your line sight is to point your finger at one end. Then “draw” the starting line across the water to windward and on to the other end.

Keep an eye on the imaginary line you have drawn, you will be in a great position at the start.

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Holding Course – An Underrated Skill

Brett Bowden
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Holding Course – An Underrated Skill

 

Holding Course – An underrated skill and something that we should all practice.

I have copied below an article that was written by Super Sailing Coach Adrian Finglas during his time coaching at Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Melbourne Australia.

This article has been reproduced with kind permission from RBYC and of course, coach Adrian.

One of the most underrated skills on any sailing boat is holding course – whether you are on a cruising yacht or a high-tech racing dinghy.

The fastest route between two points is a straight line, if you are constantly moving the tiller or wheel the boat will start to track extra distance. It is important to keep the helm central and limit your steering to small movements.

When coaching a new sailing team I always focus on their steering, many have been sailing for 20 years or more and still do not hold the helm correctly or straight enough.

As I say to the Optimist sailors, when you get in the car with your parents and drive down the highway, what happens if the driver is adjusting the steering wheel a lot?

The car will alter course and crash, so a boat is no different.

Light winds are a crucial time to hold the helm steady, many skippers will hold the tiller beside their body locked down to the deck with an overhand grip as it gives very good control.

Key elements to remember – Holding Course – An Underrated Skill:

  • When skippering a dinghy, Etchells or any boat with a tiller the overhand grip hard to the deck is the most effective. It is a difficult style to perfect, so practice is key!
  • On a yacht with a wheel make sure you have clearly marked the wheel where the rudder centre position is, this will allow you to always have a reference point to go back to. Many sailing teams will mark the wheel using bright coloured tape so it is easy to find.
  • Never fight the helm when skippering. If you find yourself moving the helm a lot, 99.9% of the time the boat is out of balance. To fix this problem adjust the sails and the twist profile will change which allows you to steer straight, in heavy conditions you will find that the sails are generally not flat enough.

Adrian Finglas – Sailing Coach

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High Aspect Keels Need Flow At All Times.

Brett Bowden
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High Aspect Keels Need Flow At All Times.

Modern High Aspect Keels Need Flow At All Times

With the burgeoning Sportboat fleets and modern yacht design favouring high aspect keels, maintaining flow over the foils has become increasingly important.

To get a great start, line up slightly sprung sheets and hold your course until the boat is at full speed. Then gently steer up to close-hauled just before the gun goes.

With a boat to leeward of you, try to go straight while accelerating slightly lower than their angle. Even though you’re getting closer to the leeward boat initially, you’ll be generating better speed grip and lift. This in turn gives you more height and speed so you can lift off them.

Modern High Aspect Keels Need Flow At All Times

Crews, but particularly helmspersons must constantly be on the lookout to avoid stalling the foils. High aspect keels need flow. The helmsperson must execute smooth turns and maintain boatspeed to stop that from happening.

At the leeward mark start your turn when you’re around 2.5 boat lengths abeam of the mark. Do that and you’ll have way more grip on your keel and end up in a higher lane than boats still turning as they pass the mark. This is when the keel stalls and the boat slides sideways.

It’s OK if your arc takes you a little downwind of the mark before turning up. Again, the idea is that, as you finish the turn and actually pass the mark, you are already close-hauled.

Ducking a boat upwind requires the same consideration. You pay more for turning hard at the boat you’re ducking in a sportsboat than in a fat-keeled boat.

You’ll gain more by ­bearing away early, building speed, and doing a small head-up as you pass astern of the boat you’re ducking.

Pinching Causes Loss of VMG – High Aspect Keels Need Flow At All Times.

If you constantly pinch, your VMG will be worse with a skinny keel because you’re close to stalling the keel. The boat needs more flow to create lift. High Aspect Keels Need Flow At All Times.

Try adding a couple of tenths to your boatspeed by initially steering down a degree or two. You will almost always end up pointing as high as everyone else because you have way more flow over your blades.

A word of caution though, you can overdo it and start reaching around the course. High Aspect Keels Need Flow At All Times.

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Sailing Strategy and Tactics

Brett Bowden
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Sailing Strategy and Tactics

Strategy and Tactics, Both Are Important

Strategy and tactics are the key ingredients of your plan to ensure success and fun for the day’s sailing event.

What is Strategy? 

A definition of strategy is having a plan for how you would like to sail a race if there were no other boats on the course.

Tactics are being able to adapt quickly to changing situations, that is, reacting to the boats around you.

A lot of strategy can be done before you leave the beach such as taking note of local topography and how it will affect the wind.  Look at charts and tide tables that tell you about potential currents. Tactics on the other hand are something that is a moving target.

Part of your strategy can be talking with locals or competitors who have sailed at the venue before.

Once on the water, work out what type of day it is, is it gusty and shifty, how large are the shifts and how fast are they?

In your head, make some rules for the race but avoid making too many. Too many rules to think about will take your mind away from keeping the boat fast.

You need to concentrate on the many other aspects of getting to the next mark the quickest way possible.

Be prepared to adjust or jettison rules if conditions change or the rules do not appear to be working.

In small fleets, waiting for a hole to appear on the starting line may be your best move. In a large fleet, those holes are few and far between.

If you’re sailing down the starting line on starboard and unable to gybe back due to a long line of port tackers, head upwind a few boat lengths and either gybe or tack back to port to find your hole on the starting line.

Tactics – Both Strategy and Tactics Are Important

From a Tactical point of view, it is very much about weighing up the risk/reward for each action. Try to minimise the risks by sailing conservatively.

Different weather conditions and fleet positions will require different tactics. Try to keep things as simple as possible and set small goals.

In shifty conditions, always be on the lifted tack. Do this even if it means being in dirty air for a short period of time.

In sailboat racing, there are a few rules of thumb that work almost every time. It almost always pays off to work the middle of the race course upwind. Almost.

With small fleets and moderate conditions where the difference in velocity in the regular breeze and the puffs is small, leveraging the middle of the racecourse is a great way to minimize risk while putting yourself in a position to pass boats or extend your lead.

In light air where the difference in the regular breeze and puffs is much larger, it’s more important to identify pressure and sail towards it, even if it means sailing on an edge of the race course.

In stable wind make sure you have clear wind. It may even mean sailing on a small header briefly to clear your lane.

Keep your Tactics simple, it is easy to overcomplicate this area of sailing.

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Mental Toughness in Sailboat Racing

Brett Bowden
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Mental Toughness in Sailboat Racing

 

 

 

I spoke to Matt Bugg on the subject of mental toughness and psychology in sailing. Matt is a man who has not let adversity stand in his way to achieve great things in our sport.

After becoming a paraplegic in a snowboarding accident at 23, Matthew decided to try to reach the pinnacle of Para-sailing, first in Australia and then internationally sailing the very competitive 2.4-metre single-hander.

He has won National Championships and countless races culminating in a Silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in RIO.

Excerpts from that interview are copied below:

I really admire the tenacity you’ve shown to get to where you have in our sport. From a psychological point of view, what have been the toughest challenges you’ve had to face and what did you do to overcome them?

Matt: I think I’ve always been a very natural helmsman and I think that’s because I grew up steering boats from a very young age. Whenever we went cruising on the boat or sailing and whenever I could, I was on the helm. Captain Araldyte that was my name on board “Buggbear”.

I was a good helmsman when I got into sailing but, it had been quite a while since I’d done a lot of really intense racing and I never really sailed at such a high level. So the nuances and the really technical stuff I kind of had to learn all over again when I started sailing 2.4s.

So what has enabled you to reach the heights that you have, has it been mental toughness, and what’s the psychology behind it?

 Matt: I think going back to your earlier question and combining the two, probably the biggest psychological hurdle that I had to overcome was sailing in a breeze. When I first started sailing 2.4s, I never really enjoyed sailing in the really windy stuff. You get very wet. It was really loud.

Everything was really loaded up and I just preferred racing when it was light or when it was perfect medium conditions.

I think the most important thing for me in terms of progressing my results because I would always do well in the light stuff and the medium stuff. But if you want to be a really good sailor, and move up to the next level, you really have to embrace heavy air and you have to love it.

That was probably the biggest hurdle in terms of jumping my results forward. I just forced myself to go out there and absolutely love it when it was 20 or 25 knots. And if you love it, you’re going to sail better in it. It’s as simple as that.

So I think that was probably the main thing that took me from a mid-fleet racer to a high-level racer was really embracing the heavy air. Whenever it happens, that’s when the mid guys drop back and that’s when you really have an opportunity to put good races in.

Also, I just read. I read every bit of sailing literature that I could. 

Talking about fellow competitors, what’s the best way to view fellow competitors? Do you view them as an enemy or a friend?

Matt: That’s a really interesting one and I think it’s always I try to be friends with them all. There’s no point in having enemies and having people that don’t get on with off the water.

Certainly, when I’m on the water, I treat everyone the same and that’s with a violent hatred basically.


Not when we’re just on the water but, from when the gun goes for the start to the end of the race. While we’re out on the water, I’ll congratulate someone on a good race or a good tactical decision or something. I think respect is really important. But on the land, it’s great if you can make as many mates as possible. Why wouldn’t you?

Was there anything you did to try and improve your mental toughness?

Matt: Music. Hard music. Generally, I’ll try and listen to some “Rage Against the Machine” or some “Tool” especially if it’s going to be windy. I’ll listen to very aggressive music and try to get that music in my head for when I’m out sailing.

What’s the most important psychological thing that the sailor who wants to improve should concentrate on?

Matt: Certainly for me from my point of view, it does come down to real confidence in your preparation.  

If you go out sailing on the course knowing that all the guys you’ve been sailing against have just been sailing three or four times a week. You’ve been popping down to the club every second weekend, then mentally you’re starting off behind the 8 ball.

And so you need to really have that confidence that you’ve done as much or more than the guys that you’re going to be racing against. Or you know that you’re faster for some reason.

The other important thing for me, and I’ve always been very lucky, is that I’ve always had a very good team around me. Not everyone is so lucky to have a coach and a sail designer that sort of travels with you to sailing regattas.

You know, even if it’s just you’re quite good friends with a few other guys out of the same fleet as you or out of the same class and you go out and tune up together.

Obviously do a few pre-race tune-ups, a few split tacks, just some basic sort of one-on-one tuning, making sure that your boat’s going fast. That all gives you confidence in your preparation for the time that the start gun goes. 

Is there anything that you do personally to keep sailing fit away from the boat? 

Matt: In all of my racing, until the Games last year, I was in the gym as much as possible, two or three times a week. Fortunately, my boat didn’t require too much fitness. So it certainly wasn’t the most important thing to me. So I just tried to keep myself fit just so, really that I was mentally fit and so that I wasn’t too heavy for in the boat. 

It’s not rocket science. If you need to be fit for the boat, you run and you ride your bike, and the fitter you are, the faster you’re going to go.

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Sailing Myths – Don’t Believe All That You Hear!

Brett Bowden
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Sailing Myths – Don’t Believe All That You Hear!

In the sport of sailing, there are plenty of myths and I have attempted to set out below some of the most common ones with the correct answers that debunk them.

1. MYTH – To determine the favoured end of the starting line, go to the middle of the line and point straight into the wind, the end of the line that your bow is pointing to is the end that is favoured. 

TRUTH – This will show you which end is further upwind but it is not necessarily the end that is favoured. The favoured end of the starting line is the one that will get you to the windward mark sooner, taking into account a number of strategic and tactical factors including which end is farther upwind and by how much. You must also take into account wind shifts, pressure, current, waves and location of the first mark.

2. MYTH – The best way to stay in front of another boat is by tacking ahead and to windward of them.

TRUTH – The most common reason why a boat gets passed on a beat is that she lets the boat behind go too far away and then there is a wind shift. The idea, when you are protecting a lead, is to minimize the leverage or separation, between you and the boat behind so that, even if the wind shifts in their favour, they won’t gain enough to pass you. We have all been told that the best way to do this is to tack directly upwind of the other boat. But think about that – if you tack on another boat’s wind, they will tack right away and then the distance between boats will be increasing.

3. MYTH – In an oscillating breeze, wait for the maximum header that you expect and then tack.

TRUTH – Tacking on headers is the right strategy, but don’t wait until you are headed all the way. Tack when you are headed to your median course. When racing in an oscillating breeze, the goal is to sail on the lifted tack and avoid sailing on the headed tack as much as possible. That’s why you should tack when you are headed – so you can sail a lift on the other tack. 

4. MYTH – Pull your cunningham tight enough to remove horizontal wrinkles along the luff of the mainsail. Sails are designed to be smooth, so use your Cunningham to achieve this shape. 

TRUTH – The purpose of the cunningham is primarily to control the fore-and-aft position of the draft and the fullness of the sail. It is not intended for getting rid of wrinkles. The most important thing about trimming your mainsail is to make sure it has the right shape for the wind and wave conditions in which you are racing. It is almost always better to
have the right sail shape with a few wrinkles than to make the sail look cosmetically perfect but have a slower shape. 

5. MYTH – When sailing upwind, never trim the sheet or traveller so
the boom is higher than the centerline.

TRUTH – Many racing boats sail very fast upwind with their booms above the centreline, so experiment with this. This works best in lighter air when you need a decent amount of twist in the sail. By pulling the boom to windward, you get enough twist with most of the sail close to the centreline. As the wind comes up and you trim the main harder with less twist, start dropping the boom. If you keep it above centreline, too much of the sail may be on the windward side of the boat creating drag.

6. MYTH – When sailing upwind in waves, you should position your crew weight as close together as possible near the middle of the boat.

TRUTH – It may actually be faster when racing upwind in waves, to
spread your weight out a bit fore and aft. Squeezing your crew weight together in the middle of the boat is a good idea and you should try that. Sometimes, even when you have your weight as close together as possible, the boat still seems to pound. If this happens, it could be that your weight distribution is not optimized
for the frequency of the waves. Try moving farther apart and test different distances and see which arrangement minimizes hobby-horsing.

7. MYTH – It’s fine to leave the jib sheet cleated most of the time while you are racing upwind.

TRUTH – You would never cleat the spinnaker sheet while you are racing. For for the same reason you should not cleat the jib sheet nor the mainsheet for that matter. The wind and waves are always changing, so to keep going fast you must continually change your sail trim to match the new conditions. You can’t do this if your sheets are cleated.

8. MYTH – In order to get mark-room, you have to hail for room at the mark.

TRUTH – There is absolutely no requirement in the rules for a hail in order to get mark-room.  Hailing for room at the mark is a common misunderstanding. There is some logic in expecting an inside boat to hail for mark-room when they are entitled to it. The rules don’t require this. Instead, they say simply that the outside boat must give mark-room to the inside boat. 

#sailingtowin #sailing #sailtowin #yachtracing #sailingcoach #Sailboatrace

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The Way Sails Work To Windward

Brett Bowden
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The Way Sails Work To Windward

Most sailors know that modern sails perform much like an aeroplane wing and that’s the way sails work to windward.

Because of the way that a sail is curved, and because of the angle of attack when trimmed properly, the air passing over the leeward side speeds up in comparison to the air passing over the windward side.

It is the difference in pressure that creates force on the sail and enables a boat to sail close to the direction of the wind.

Sail Shape Tips – 

  • Camber or draught provides power but can also result in excess heel. A 15% draft depth is considered fairly full for a mainsail and a 10% draft is fairly shallow.
  • In extremely light conditions, the air has difficulty making sharp bends. You need to keep your sails a bit flatter so the air does not detach.
  • Pulling the draft forward with luff tension can provide extra power in a chop; otherwise, it should be kept in its designed position which is 35 to 40 per cent in a jib and 45 to 50 per cent aft in the main.
  • A little twist is necessary because the upper part of the mainsail is always sailing in a bit of a lift caused by the friction of air closer to the surface.
  • In general, you have the right amount of twist with the top batten being parallel to the boom and the leech of the jib or genoa being parallel to the belly of the main. 

Light-Air Sailing – 

  • Keep sails flat and the leech open. Use a moderate amount of outhaul and set the jib leads back a notch or two. You may even need a bit of mast bend if the upper pats of the main are a bit full.
  • Resist the temptation to pinch because you risk killing any apparent wind that you have created.
  • Resist the urge to strap the sails in tight and keep things loose, if in doubt let it out.
  • Keep crew movement to a minimum.
  • In a drifter move crew weight to leeward to reduce wetted surface friction and help the sails to belly out.

Moderate Air Sailing – 

  • Keep sails full and drawing with plenty of draft, especially in choppy conditions.
  • Keep the boom towards the centreline with the top batten parallel and add some luff tension to each sail to counteract the draft moving aft.
  • Fight the urge to strap your sails in tight which will create the illusion of power.

Heavy Air Sailing –

  • Flatten the sails using the outhaul and backstay and move the jib lead aft. If you have a backstay, in puffy conditions, pull it on to depower and let it off in the lulls.
  • Drop the traveller to dump power from the main and let the main sheet out as a last resort. Use your vang to control the upper leech and aid pointing.
  • The helmsman and trimmers should continually communicate to keep the boat under control and balanced all the while maintaining maximum power in the sails.
  • Don’t worry about a bit of a bubble in the main if it is not flogging as the air is still attached.
  • Hike Hard.

#sailingtowin #sailing #sailtowin #yachtracing #sailingcoach #Sailboatrace

Attack And Defend

Brett Bowden
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Attack And Defend

Knowing how to attack and defend is a skill that develops with time on the water.

When racing, it rarely pays to concentrate on beating one boat as you risk the rest of the fleet getting away. 

Having said that, there are key areas of the race course or regatta when this could be necessary, so the ability to attack and defend is a vital tool to have in your toolbox.

I have set out below some attack and defend situations and solutions.
  • At the start, you need to concentrate on beating the boats around you so sail high or low to attack or defend your immediate competitors.
  • When you meet another boat on the course, you have no choice but to react to them. Whether you cross, tack or duck can have long-term implications for the race.
  • When you have a particular boat you have to beat in a race or series, you need to either attack or defend.  All the while though be aware of other boats that may upset your plan. There are instances where you could both lose out.
  • You can defend the boat to windward by sailing high to not allow them the room to roll you. The desired outcome is to force them to tack off to give you a clear lane. 
  • You are able to attack boats to leeward by driving over the top of them. To do that you have to have enough bow forward and space to leeward.
  • Upwind, the leebow is an important attacking manoeuvre to get right. You will use the leebow when you want to protect your side of the course. A well-executed leebow will force your opponent to tack away.
  • In order to stop boats from tacking on you at the layline, bear away slightly as they approach on a port. This will force them to duck you or tack early, once that happens, head up to the close-hauled course again.
  • Upwind, the simplest way to attack if you are a few boat lengths ahead is simply to cover. They will slow down in dirty air or be forced to tack away from the favoured side.
  • Downwind, pressure is a key factor and if there is a hitch mark don’t be too concerned about defending the boat that gybe sets as they are likely to be initially sailing in dirty air unless you are both well clear of the following boats.
  • One of the simplest ways to attack downwind is to put the boat in front in your wind shadow. This will slow them down and in many cases force them away from the favoured side of the course.
  • Offwind, if you need to attack the boat in front work high in lulls and drive low in the gusts. A warning though, don’t work too high unless you expect a large change in windspeed. You risk ending up having to sail a lot more distance in down pressure.
  • The easiest way to get clear of another boat downwind is to gybe off.
  • If you want to attack another boat, gybe in their face, you can take control, gybing right when they do.
  • If you are being attacked off the wind, defend by making a slick gybe and get  going high to break any cover ASAP
  • SAILING TO WIN BOOK

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