The Dos and Don’ts of Filing an Appeal
By: Dave Perry, Chairman of US Sailing Appeals Committee Dave Perry presented the dos and don’ts of filing an appeal at the Sailing Leadership Forum last February in San Diego. Perry is the author of Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes. He is also a US Sailing Senior Certified Judge. When filing…Read More
Advantages of US Powerboating’s Safe Powerboat Handling Courses
By Rob Crafa and Lynn Lynch There are so many benefits for hosting and taking US Powerboating’s Safe Powerboat Handling Course. Find out how this course can improve the quality of your club’s programming: Hands-on, on-the-water–, practical application of all skills Professional textbook & online / digital teaching aids Boaters with no experience quickly gain confidence…Read More
Speed & Smarts: Watch out for other boats’ wind shadows
By: David Dellenbaugh When you want to go fast upwind, bad air is your enemy. So watch out for other boats, and look ahead for lanes of clear air. Wind shadows extend farther and slow you more in light air than they do in heavy air. So when there’s not much wind, don’t stay in…Read More
The Art of Rig Tune & Bend
By: Nick Turney of North Sails Prepared for the 2011 US Sailing One Design Symposium, this hands-on seminar will show you the proper steps of tuning a mast and also how to use mast bend to your advantage. These steps will assist in boosting performance and improving safety. The Art of Rig Tune & BendRead More
Outboard Motor Maintenance
By: Lynn Lynch, St. Francis Yacht Club Manager, San Francisco, CA Learn about outboard motor maintenance that every sailor should know, from spark plugs, to oil and filters, to gaskets, to batteries, along with the suggested tools you’ll need as well. Outboard MaintenanceRead More
How to Read Wind & Weather Patterns
By: Nick Turney of North Sails Learn how to read wind on a course and make appropriate tactical decisions to improve your performance on the water. Reading the wind, includes: types of puffs; reading the puffs and; predicting the wind. Predicting the wind, includes: data collection; weather maps and; isobar maps. Reading Wind & Weather…Read More
A Fresh Perspective on Evaluating Your Programs
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
Speed & Smarts: Sail the longer tack first
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