I read the article, “Don’t be lazy with mainsheet tension.” I’m in my 3rd year at … and had been struggling some with how deep this fleet is. After reading the article I went and did some practice and then raced Sunday morning. I implemented what was mentioned and wouldn’t you know it, I won my first race in the MC fleet! Thanks for the great content!

SailZing reader feedback, June 2018

Highlights

For your SailZing editor, the above feedback was a major highlight of 2018. It affirms our belief that we can make a difference by breaking down the complex sport of sailing into nuggets you can use to sail faster and smarter.

In 2018, our second year in operation, we posted 78 new articles. Our readership skyrocketed from around 10,000 page views in 2017 to over 64,000 page views in 2018. 

Popular Posts

Here are the five most popular posts from 2018.

#1. Racing Rules Articles and Quiz

By far, our most popular posts were developed in cooperation with the ILYA #FairSailing initiative. We posted 12 “rule of the week” articles and an online rules quiz. The most popular rules articles were Rule 17 – Proper Course, and Rule 18 – Mark Room (Part 1 and Part 2). Over 500 people took the #FairSailing Rules Quiz. 

#2. MC Scow Upgrades and Tips

Being MC Scow sailors, we’re constantly on the alert for class-specific boat upgrades and tips. We added several posts to this page in 2018 and offered kits for some of them in our store. In 2019, we hope to add tips for more classes.

#3. Play the Shifts Downwind – Check Your Understanding

This post aggregates knowledge from several sources and lets you check your understanding about the impact of shifts downwind. Thanks to Craig Leweck, editor of Sailing Scuttlebutt, for mentioning this post and helping drive traffic!

#4. MC-Scow Sailing Speed Guide Plus Drills  

If you want to be a better sailor, boat speed is the first place to start. In this series of articles, MC-Scow sailor and SailZing contributor Henry Chesnutt shares his secrets to speed that got him to the top of the fleet in a few short years. This post was published in 2017, but remained popular in 2018.

#5. Sailboat Race Analysis – Improve Performance with Data

Ever get the feeling that the casual post-race conversation doesn’t tell the whole story about race performance? Ever wished you had solid data to focus your improvement plan? Race analysis may be part of the solution. In this article we review the benefits and costs of race analysis and recommend a tool for sailing schools, smaller yacht clubs, and amateur fleets. Again, thanks to Sailing Scuttlebutt for promoting this post.

Contributors and Sources

At SailZing, we believe we can add the most value by seeking insights from a variety of sources. Maybe one of these sources will say something in a unique way that makes sense to you. We’ve managed to gather insights from over 70 sailors, through books, online articles, and direct contributions. Thanks to all our contributors and sources from 2017 and 2018, listed below!

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