I and most sailors continue to struggle with how to choose the best side of the course.
Fortunately, it is not Voodoo and an article I located written by hugely accomplished yachtsman, Gary Jobson from Annapolis in the USA goes a long way to demystify this essential planning aspect of any race.
I have copied Gary's advice below.
Sailors tend to stay...
All racing sailors must Understand The Elements And Plan Accordingly.
As a competing sailor, we must study the weather when planning to race and must know as much as we can about the wind, clouds, rain, currents and water temperature as is possible.
This knowledge can have a big effect on the outcome of a race and I must mention that...
Competing sailors must practice tacking and how to get it right
Unfortunately, all of us have fluffed a tack and sometimes with disastrous results. We may have let a competitor off the hook, got the boat in irons or caused ourselves a myriad of poor outcomes.
The goal of a good tack is to maximise our gain to windward. This is...
You must know how telltales work to be a successful sailboat racer and those sailors that have mastered their use can be found on the podium more often than not.
Twist is when the top of the sail opens in comparison to the lower sections. This gives us the ability to control the lift and drag created by our sails.
Twist...
Ultimate Sailing Success Comes From Teamwork
Being Part Of a Crew
In a crewed boat there is great satisfaction from being part of a good crew.
It is often said that everyone secretly wants to be the skipper but there are also those that get more rewards from being part of a well-functioning team.
When you compete in a world-class event, great crew...
