Deal with congested areas when sailing. You may already have noticed that, shortly before the Start, when the boats have lined up, the wind is significantly weaker there, even if you are in the front row and have clear wind.
Effect of The Fleet On The Breeze
The reason for this effect is the congestion that forms in front of the...
Step 1. Work on your weaknesses. Steps to Winning a Regatta
We all have different strengths and weaknesses, for some, it is light air and flat water, for others they are faster in a big breeze and boisterous seas.
It is fun to practice in your favourite conditions but you need to get out of your comfort zone and spend more...
Anticipation in Sailing Races - In every sailing race, to enhance your chance of success you must keep a constant watch ahead and around the course to see what's coming and have a plan on how to deal with it before you get there.
Before You Leave The BeachBefore you leave the beach and before every race, you need to...
Racing in Big Fleets
With national championships and annual long-distance races fast approaching, we need to turn our minds to sailing in bigger fleets than we have been racing in all year.
Racing in big fleets requires a number of different disciplines to think about and master. In general, you can take more risks in a small fleet and if you...
To Improve - Get Back To Basics. The best sailors are those who understand the importance of solid boat handling skills as the foundation for performance.
What Can Improve Our Performance on The Water
A question that we should always ask ourselves is, what would make the biggest difference to improve our performance on the water?
The answers we give ourselves range...
Avoid Sailing Mistakes - An important ingredient to winning a yacht race is to make fewer mistakes than your fellow competitors.
Because of sailing's complexities, even the best sailors will make mistakes but it is the avoidance of the major ones that are the most telling, minor mistakes will make a difference but should not be sweated over.
I have...
Windward mark layline mistakes, unfortunately, are very common and can be extremely costly. Laylines & Getting Them Right.
One of the most common things that sailors get wrong is getting to the layline too early. If you get to the layline too early, you can no longer play the shifts and you also lose tactical options.
More often than not it is...
Often too much significance is attributed to sailing tactics and tactics only become the most important factor if you are sailing at a very high level. Sailing Tactics Be Better Than The Competition
For most of us, it’s better to invest in training time, concentrating on sailing technique and boat tuning. As a word of caution though, you can't manage...
Excerpt from “Speed and Smarts” Newsletter issue 131 - David Dellenbaugh
Almost every sailor realizes the importance of making a strategic plan for the first leg before they start the race but how many of those sailors also develop a strategy for every other leg in the race?
It’s tough to make a game plan...
Tactical Tips Regardless Of The Boat You Sail
Luffing Another Boat
Trying to luff someone going faster than you almost always ends badly. The faster boat’s momentum will take them around you. There is little that can be done to stop that.
Momentum is essential in the last 10 seconds before the gun goes. You need to have momentum on your side...
