#sailingtowin

[brettbowden]

How Can You Recover From A Disastrous Start?

How Can You Recover From A Disastrous Start?

Its important to remember that a bad start is not the end of your day, patience and keeping a cool head will generally save you from a total disaster. If your start has gone wrong, don’t panic and look for a clean exit sooner rather than later. Be patient though, a hasty change to your pre-determined plan without considering all options may actually place you in an even worse situation. Two…

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[brettbowden]

HOW TO SET SAILS - THE CONTROLS AND THEIR EFFECTS

HOW TO SET SAILS – THE CONTROLS AND THEIR EFFECTS

Excerpts from an interview with highly accomplished Dinghy through to Maxi Yacht sailor and North Sails sailmaker Michael Coxon. What’s the most important sail control and how does that vary from class to class? “The most important sail control for any boat is the sheet tension. Where the sheet tension will tend to control the twist of the sail and the general drive of it, you can actually then…

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[brettbowden]

DOWNWIND, ALWAYS BE SEARCHING FOR THE BEST PRESSURE

DOWNWIND, ALWAYS BE SEARCHING FOR THE BEST PRESSURE

When sailing on a run, the key to success is locating better wind velocity, getting your boat into that pressure, and then staying in it as long as possible. Better pressure allows you to sail lower and faster than your fellow competitors meaning you will gain on those in front or move away from those behind. Keep your head out of the boat because you want to find puffs early while you still have…

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[brettbowden]

How To Get There Faster - Tips And Rules For The Upwind Leg

How To Get There Faster – Tips And Rules For The Upwind Leg

  The basic idea when sailing upwind is to sail on the lifted tack as long as possible but there are a few other general rules that ensure you make the most of the upwind leg. Avoid the corners: It is true that every time you tack you slow down but that doesn’t mean that it is a good idea to simply sail two long tacks to the mark. The reason for this is that once you get to the layline, you are…

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[brettbowden]

Rig Tune Relationship to Get Better Performance.

Rig Tune Relationship to Get Better Performance.

Firstly, I would like to correct an error in last weeks Blog regarding using the compass to establish Line bias. Phil Crebbin, a UK 470 Olympian kindly pointed this out and has provided the correct method which is copied below in bold. Everybody knows that it is the wind direction vs the line direction that defines the bias of the line (subject only to other things like any variation of current…

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[brettbowden]

How To Work Out The Favoured End Without Instruments

How To Work Out The Favoured End Without Instruments

Getting a great start in clear air can be the most important part of your race and knowing the favoured end and determining how much it is favoured will help you settle on your starting strategy. Some of the many considerations to ensure a great start are current, where other boats are congregating, the size of the fleet, wind speed and any anticipated shifts. Of course, there are many other…

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[brettbowden]

How To Manage Seasickness

How To Manage Seasickness

  Regardless of what a lot of sailors will tell you, it has been reported that up to 90% of sailors experience seasickness, whether it be mild or violent, at some time in their sailing career. Seasickness can be compared with a mild to massive hangover (only worse) and for some, the only relief comes when the boat reaches its destination. Unfortunately, I am one of those sailors and I had a rule…

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[brettbowden]

Minimize Sailing Injuries - Three Best Sailing Stretches.

Minimize Sailing Injuries – Three Best Sailing Stretches.

Copied from an article written by Brad Walker – https://www.stretchcoach.com  Regardless of the size of the boat, sailing will require all the upper body strength you can muster. Your upper torso, including your shoulders, arms and abdominal muscles will play a major role in operating a sailboat. The main muscles in play are the rhomboids, trapezius and rotator cuff in the shoulders, and…

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