Top sailors know how to “change gears” to adapt to the needs of the boat. In this post, we discuss three primary gears for sailing upwind. In a future post, we’ll discuss using these gears in different wind and wave…
Boat Handling & Performance
This category focuses on developing good boat handling & performance skills. These skills will help you develop stellar boat speed, solid tacks and gybes, and smooth mark roundings.
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Basic jib trim on a dinghy is not difficult, but beginning racers need to know a few things. In this post, we discuss the importance of the jib and a simple approach to setting the jib leads and sheeting. Why…
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You probably don’t want to imitate the picture above, but you can raise your sailing game if you learn to hike harder and smarter. Hiking takes effort, but by being fit and using proper technique you can get better results…
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As a follow-up to our series on Upwind Mainsail Trim, we wanted to sharpen our skills at analyzing upwind sail shape. With the help of a former sailmaker, we photographed sails and studied their “flying shape.” This post discusses what…
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Until recently, we were convinced the holding the tiller extension with a “microphone” grip is always best. Then we talked to some very good sailors that often use the “frying pan” grip. We also read that Ben Anslie uses the…
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We’ve written several posts about various aspects of upwind boat speed, but many readers like content summarized. In this post we present an upwind boat speed checklist, collected from previous SailZing.com content. These skills require practice to execute them more…
