Preparation

When I was starting out racing on our tiny lake, a mentor told me to look for more wind near the shore in light air. This appeared to be true frequently, but as with many rules of thumb in sailing,…

Sailors commonly talk about the sea breeze. This leaves lake sailors feeling left out. So, we asked Chelsea Carlson, of Sea Tactics, to educate us on the lake breeze. A professional meteorologist, Chelsea provides sailors with weather forecasting, online courses,…

We’ve all heard advice on how to use clouds as part of your race strategy. Most of what I’ve heard has been vague – “sail towards the clouds” – and wasn’t backed by a good explanation. So, it was refreshing…

In lake sailing, race strategy – using shifts, sailing in more wind, and course/fleet positioning – is often more important than pure boat speed. Different conditions require different strategies, and we’re always looking for better ways to think about strategy…

Every battle is won before it is fought. Sun Tzu, Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher The above quote could well apply to sailboat racing and your pre-race routine. Success in racing is based many factors – better mental and…

Successful sailors know how to manage their thought process during the race. In The Sailing Cycle, we described Zack Clayton’s approach. In the ILYA Fast Forward webinar series, Olympic qualifiers Steph Roble and Maggie Shea described an approach which they…