WHY WE SHOULD PRACTICE OUR STARTS Former Olympic sprint champion Linford Christie used to say that winning the 100 Metres was all about starting on the B of BANG. In a 10-second running race, every millisecond counts. We can’t claim that those last few milliseconds aren’t quite so crucial in…

What you feel in your tiller or wheel gives you an indication as to what is right or wrong with your sails and the balance of the boat. What the helmsman feels is dictated by sail trim, centreboard position, mast rake, heel and crew weight placement. …

MYTHS REGARDING CURRENT ACROSS THE COURSE MYTH — Your apparent wind will be different on each tack. Since you sail faster over the bottom on the down current tack, you’ll feel more wind on that tack and this will affect sail trim and speed. TRUTH — The apparent wind on…

TOP 20 SAILING SUPERSTITIONS Because of the dangers faced by sailors and fishermen, there are countless superstitions around safety and luck on the sea. Some seem a little strange today. While most no longer apply, we’re guessing that some still linger in sailors’ minds. 20. Re-naming a boat It is…

An important ingredient to winning a yacht race is to make fewer mistakes than your fellow competitors. Because of sailing’s complexities, even the best sailors will make mistakes but it is the avoidance of the major ones that are the most telling, minor mistakes will make a difference but should…

Having a tuning partner is one of the best ways to get value from your on-water practice sessions but in these times of no racing, fewer boats out sailing and social distancing, keeping your skills sharp probably means solo training. Before you head out, it’s important to have a plan…

In these days of windward-leeward courses reaching legs provide a bit of variety but how you sail them is no less important and plenty of gains can be made remembering that many competitors treat these legs as a procession and perhaps relax a bit. As you bear away around the…