Competing sailors must practice tacking and how to get it right
Unfortunately, all of us have fluffed a tack and sometimes with disastrous results. We may have let a competitor off the hook, got the boat in irons or caused ourselves a myriad of poor outcomes.
The goal of a good tack is to maximise our gain to windward. This is...
Ultimate Sailing Success Comes From Teamwork
Being Part Of a Crew
In a crewed boat there is great satisfaction from being part of a good crew.
It is often said that everyone secretly wants to be the skipper but there are also those that get more rewards from being part of a well-functioning team.
When you compete in a world-class event, great crew...
Strategy And Tactics
Boatspeed and Strategy are two things that you have sorted prior to the start of a race.
Strategy is the big picture game plan that you work out before the race starts and tactics are the decisions you make to execute the strategy.
Boatspeed
Without boatspeed your chances of success are limited and this is something that you must have...
Use Your Eyes When Sailing. Using your eyes effectively whilst racing takes plenty of discipline and practice.
Work Out What You Are Looking For
First, you need to ascertain what it is that you are looking for, is it a mark, a puff coming towards you and does that puff look like it is a lift or header.
It may just be...
Who better to get help with boat speed issues than Mat Belcher, current Olympic Gold medallist in the 470 class from Tokyo 2021. Olympic Gold Medalist Tips For Boatspeed and Changing Gears
I have copied below excerpts from an interview that I did with Mat in 2017 while he was waiting at the airport to travel to yet another overseas...
How To find more speed is largely a matter of trial and error and getting to know your boat.
How To Find More Speed
You can set your sails so that they look right but to get the last fraction of boat speed you must experiment with different settings and shapes to see which ones give you the best results.
Even when...
Back To Basics - How To Get Out Of A Slump
If you feel as though you are losing your touch out on the race course sometimes you need to go back and start at the beginning.
If your performance is a shadow of your past, you need to go through each one of the potential problem areas.
First, check the finish...
It's The Little Things That Make The Most Difference
Often the difference between mid-fleet hackers and great sailors is simply the fact that champions pay attention to the little things.
I have listed below, some of the things you need to pay attention to. I am sure you will be able to add many more but you catch my drift about...
Key tactical tips on how to improve your sailing both upwind, downwind, and around the course.
When sailing downwind, use your masthead wind indicator to show your apparent wind and look at your nearby competitor's indicator to see if they are shadowing you.
If you lose distance after crossing tacks or gybes, have the courage to shift sides of the course.
Always...
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Coaches all around the world preach If You Sail Your Boat Flat You Will Be Fast
This article was written by super coach ADRIAN FINGLAS during his time as Head of Coaching at Royal Brighton Yacht Club.
We have all heard the old saying flat is fast, once the boat is powered up and sailing upwind the flatter you can...
