Finishing

Remember the race isn't over till the finish!Don't jam the boat (pinching, over sheeting) keep calm.Sail the shifts (don't get out of synch).Is the committee boat putting out a wind shadow? (take care if it's a large launch or yacht).The finishing line can be biased just as much as a start line.Decide on the favoured end while sailing downwind.Try...

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Sailing Downwind

You need to spend many hours racing competitively to develop the skills in reaching and running in an effort to get an edge on your competition off the wind. To be fast off the wind requires you to develop a "feel" for the yacht and what makes it go. A lot of off the wind sailing cannot be taught by a coach it...

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Reaching

Now we all love to reach, it is fast and exciting. But I know a lot of people who when they go practising only practise reaching when it is probably the last thing they need to be practising!!! Remember to get your priorities right. Reaching Downwind Remember to Sail the rumbline, the shortest (and usually...

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Sailing Upwind

The most important part of a yacht race after the start, is to pick the first two wind shifts correctly then to settle into the longest tack on the upwind leg of the course, this will generally position yourself with a loose cover over the bulk of the fleet and will leave you closest to the top mark. To sail this...

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Sail a Race Series

Starting in a Big Fleet Obviously the most important part of the race is the start because this determines your race strategy, especially on the first beat. The priority is to get clear air, have good speed and most importantly, go the right way up the first beat. If you get it all right the chances of a good position...

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Dispatches from the Atlantic: Land Ho

After crossing the Atlantic, Snark makes landfall in St. Lucia. Christopher White Well, we've made it. At 18:02:46 (local time), Snark crossed the line as the 72nd of 209 boats still in...

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