Sailing Fundamentals

How do you approach hull care? As we saw in our post, Hull Smoothness – What Matters for Speed?, hull smoothness matters but only to a point. In this post, we’ll cover how to achieve a smooth hull and ways…

How much effort should you spend on hull smoothness? We decided to investigate this after seeing a variety of approaches. Many (maybe most) fast sailors put time into polishing the hull, but others don’t bother. Our primary source for this…

Here’s an easy way to roll your sail singlehanded while it’s on the boat. This method prevents wrinkles from forming as you lower the sail, which makes rolling easier and prolongs the sail’s life. Watch the video or follow the…

If you didn’t grow up sailing, how long did it take you to figure out what sailors mean when they say “put the bow down?” After hearing from newer sailors that the language of racing is hard to decipher, we…

Here’s a tip for newer sailors planning to moor a boat or tow a boat on the water. To prevent broken shrouds or forestays, you need to stabilize the rig. Take this simple precaution to save wear and tear. Why…

In this post, we’ll define leeway, show you how to become aware of your boat’s leeway, and share tips on how to improve your upwind performance by managing and minimizing leeway. You can watch the video or read the summary…