It’s ten minutes before the start and you’re formulating strategy. Should you pick a favored side, or just sail the shifts and puffs and see what develops? Most race courses, especially on lakes, will favor one side during at least…

Welcome to our series on upwind mainsail trim. This article covers Camber, which is Part 2 of a four-part unit on shaping your sails. In this series, we’re presenting a comprehensive review of basic and advanced mainsail trim concepts. We…

In this post we discuss Velocity Made Good or VMG. Many newer sailors are not familiar with this important concept, so we’ll discuss the definition and show some examples. Then we’ll discuss how to use the concept of target boat…

A well-organized, two-boat testing program is the best way to make advances in boat speed.  Mark Reynolds While racing, it’s hard to isolate the factors that contribute to differences in boat speed. If you have the time and patience, two-boat…

Welcome to our series on upwind mainsail trim. This article covers Angle of Attack, which is Part 1 of a four-part unit on shaping your sails. In this series, we’re presenting a comprehensive review of basic and advanced mainsail trim…

Man blames fate for other accidents, but feels personally responsible when he makes a hole in one. Horizons Magazine, quoted in Winning: The Psychology of Competition, by Stuart Walker In Parts 1-3 of our series on mental skills for sailing,…