Sail Trim & Shape
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
Speed & Smarts: In heavy air, play the shifts
By David Dellenbaugh When you’re sailing in a lot of breeze, your boat is usually overpowered. Because of this, finding more wind velocity probably won’t help you go much faster or point higher. In fact, in some cases a strong puff might even slow you down. A good wind shift, on the other hand, can…Read 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
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 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
Speed & Smarts: Sail toward the next shift
By: David Dellenbaugh This is a sure-fire rule of thumb that works in any wind condition. Of course, you must be able to predict which way the wind will shift next. But if you can do this, all you have to do is sail in that direction and you will come out ahead (assuming you…Read More
Speed & Smarts: Follow your strategic plan
By: David Dellenbaugh This sounds simple, but it’s not always so easy to do. A strategy is your game plan for how to sail fast up the first beat, a guideline to keep you going the right way. It’s not so difficult to develop a strategic plan – you just have to get out to the…Read More
Knowing Your Destination: Setting the right goals
By: Jessica M. Mohler, Psy.D., CC-AASPClinical and Sport PsychologistUnited States Naval AcademyI am sure you have experienced this before: two sailors de-rigging at the end of the day, one has a smile on his face and seems excited about how he did on the water, the other appears upset as you hear him saying to…Read More