Many beginning and intermediate racing sailors could improve their sailing by focusing on the body mechanics of tacking. Good body mechanics will help you tack quickly and smoothly, keep control of the tiller extension, and be ready to hike and…
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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Many new sailors ask us what “vang sheeting” means. More experienced sailors understand the term, but may not execute it well. We found a video from the International Sailing Academy (ISA) that illustrates the technique on the water. We highly…
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[Lull response]: I fought my instinct to bear off, and instead, allowed the jib tales to stall while the boat decelerated over the next few boat lengths. We did ease both the main and jib sheets just a little to…
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If Olympic sailors, coaches, and America’s Cup teams take the time to mark control settings, why shouldn’t the rest of us do the same? We don’t need to overdo it – just a few key marks will help us get…
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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…
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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…