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Read Your Helm - The feel in your tiller or wheel indicates what is right or wrong with your sails and the balance of the boat.
What the helmsman feels is dictated by sail trim, centreboard position, mast rake, heel and crew weight placement. With excessive helm, the steerer is working against the boats natural course.
By eliminating excessive helm you...
Tips To Improve Your Upwind Helming Techniques
In light air -
steer to a higher luff telltale which will find you sailing a little lower, one of the biggest mistakes many helmsmen make in light airs is to pinch.
It is important for the trimmer to use all the telltales both up the luff and on the leech to get the whole...
To make the helmsman look great on your boat, they need good information and feedback, so who should provide it?
Everyone on the boat has a part to play
It probably sounds a bit crazy but believe it or not, everyone on the boat has a part to play. At the end of the day, when you have had a great...
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...
Steering fast is a combination of mechanical skill and intuition. Being a fast helmsperson is something sailors acquire by spending a large amount of time on the water both practicing and racing.
Common traits of a good helmsperson are intense focus and heightened senses. Added to these, they also need clear visibility and be able to accept input on...
Waves are never helpful when you’re racing upwind. Sailing in flatter water is always faster, and that should be your main aim on beats.
To be fast in waves requires a team effort between the helmsperson and crew. A crew member should be tasked with calling waves. They must keep the steerer informed of the approach and relative size of...
Strategies For Using A Compass - Sailing is a highly competitive sport that requires a combination of skill, knowledge, and strategy to succeed.
In yacht racing, one of the most critical tools for gaining an advantage over your competitors is the compass. It is one of the most important tools for any sailor in a yacht race.
A compass is a...
I have set out below a number of heavy air techniques that will help you sail more competitively. Success and speed in heavy air grows from a combination of the following ingredients.
Firstly you have to learn to love it.
Secondly, you must prepare your boat so that nothing will break.
And lastly, be prepared to practice and train in heavy air....
