Boat Handling & Performance

Top sailors prioritize smooth weight movement and constant angle of heel, especially in light air. In light air, flow over sails and foils boards is marginal. Any disturbance shakes the flow and makes an already tough situation worse. Even without…

Are you working hard enough on downwind boat speed? It’s easy to lose focus, even though downwind sailing requires at least as much concentration as upwind sailing. For this post, we decided to compile a big picture list of things…

Most tuning guides for centerboard dinghies and scows tell you to raise your board 1-2″ in heavy air. In this post we’ll briefly discuss three reasons why this is important. This post updates our previous post on setting leeboard height…

Struggling with boat speed? Want to sail more by feel? Understanding and managing helm balance will help. In this post we’ll discuss the factors affecting upwind helm balance and give examples of how to apply them. We’ll cover downwind helm…

As racing sailors, we’re striving to “become one with the wind,” instinctively making use of every little change. If you didn’t grow up sailing, you probably need visual cues to help sharpen those instincts. This article responds to a reader…

Here’s a drill to sharpen your puff response techniques. Most sailors know about “ease/hike/trim,” but many do not execute it well in different wind conditions. The No-Hike Hands Drill will help train your hands to respond correctly in a variety…