By: Bill Gladstone, Director of North U and author of the North U Racing Trim, North U Racing Tactics, and North U Cruising and Seamanship books and discs. When racing distances, there are several tactics to keep in mind: aim toward the finish line; sail fast and hard; keep your eye on the weather and; practice at…Read More
The Acceleration A proper turn is just the first part of a tack. Part II – The Acceleration will complete the tack. As noted before, all the losses from tacking accrue during this critical second phase. Typically, (on keelboats) losses are between one and two boat lengths. Our goal is to minimize losses. Coming out…Read More
As mundane as they may seem, good tacks are essential to good racing. Make each tack a little better and you’ll save a few boat lengths every race. Tacks can be divided into two parts: The Turn and The Acceleration. Surprisingly, after The Turn you are ahead in VMG of where you would have been…Read More
By: Bill Gladstone, Director of North U and author of the North U Racing Trim, North U Racing Tactics, and North U Cruising and Seamanship books and discs. Each sail has three sources of power: angle of attack, depth, and twist. Proper trim means sailing at full power and with the proper mix of power. For a…Read More
Following these rules can prevent virtually all man-overboard incidents: 1. Remain sober, especially if you expect to go on deck for any reason. 2. Wear non-skid footwear when working on deck and have nonskid paint or pads in critical work areas. 3. Walk or crawl on the uphill windward side in a crouched position with…Read More
By: Nick Turney of North Sails Gaining information about the race course and your competition will help you gain an advantage. Then, learn the tactics to position your boat to implement your strategy. Racing Tactics & StrategyRead More
by: Nick Turney of North Sails Learn the ins and outs of sail trim and how rigging and tuning affect the shape of your sails. The Mainsail Trim includes: Main Sheet, Traveler; Cunningham; Outhaul and; Vang. The Headsail & Spin Trim includes: Jib Lead; Jib Halyard and; Jib Sheet. Mainsail Trim Headsail & Spin TrimRead More
By Joel Hanneman, Founder of the Rhode Island Team Racing Association Although team racing has been around for a few decades, it continues to develop into an up-and-coming sailing activity. When the concept of team racing came about it was essentially a group of boats fleet racing against each other. But as the courses, boats,…Read More
By: David Dellenbaugh When you’re not sure where the next shift will come from, get onto the longer tack to the windward mark (the tack on which your bow is pointing closer to the mark). This is one of my most reliable strategies. Sailing the longer tack works because of probability. Your chances of success…Read More
By: Stu Gilfillen, Training Director at US Sailing When I was a program director, one of the major questions that I always had was, “Where does my program compare to other programs nationwide?” While the question sounds like it was geared towards gauging what my achievements were, in reality it was more about seeing if…Read More
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