Light wind sailing tips pdf

I would like something larger up to 17 and wider so i could take my family sailing. And, it pays to know what to bring aboard and what to leave on shore. Dont rush breakfast the sailing will almost always be better later on. The highest most catamarans can point into the wind and sail efficiently, is an angle between 35 and 50 degrees off the wind. Pointing sailing toward the wind although it is impossible to sail directly into the wind, it is important to know how to sail as close to the wind as possible. Sailing performance by jeff schionning this document is a performance speed guide on what you can expect from a schionning sailing design. Follow these five easytouse tips when sailing in the gentle winds of dawns first light or the ghostlike zephyrs of a moonlit night. The problem is that the winds in north louisiana are not very good for sailing. Sailing closehauled beating a boat cant sail directly into the wind, but it can sail toward the wind, as close as about 45 degrees off the winds direction.

A twisted leech profile promotes airflow in light air when its hard to get air to stay attached. Make sure there is not so much wind that the boat will get blown over. Describe the benefits of, and procedures for, heavingto. Youll be sailing in light winds, youll be approaching the rocks getting ready to tack. At west coast sailing, we carry a wide range of sailing gloves for fast action dinghy sailing, scholastic sailing, cruising, keelboat sailing, offshore sailing, and more. Learn to sail sailing tips you need beyond sailing school. I currently sail a bolger surf with the 59 sail in the plans. No idea if it works on a laser, probably does, but sail slightly heeled, let gravity put some shape in the sail and heeling points the boat up a bit, i never sail anything flat in light airs, keep the stern out, no noise off the back, dont have the sail to full, nor the leech too tight and concentrate, feel the air around you and focus on the shortest distance to the mark and watch the.

When sailing on this point of sail, the wind will be coming across the bows of the boat and the telltales should be pointing straight back parallel with the water. In light to moderate conditions when you need power and helm, ease the outhaul until the sail is 50mm75mm from maximum tension and the foot shelf is partially. You can also choose a sail for your peak regatta if it is a predominantly light wind venue, a bigger sail could be a better sail for that regatta, or if it is a strong wind. There is some list monkey business that the blog guys put in.

It will be much easier to avoid tight situations and recover from tactical mistakes. Describe the appropriate sail combinations to carry under the following wind conditions. Control is critical and this is especially true in junior, low ability or. A nicely twisted roachy main, relatively flat and loosely sheeted will be more effective than a deep, tightleeched pinhead. Michael blackburn offers advice on sailing in very light airs.

Windsurfing light wind fundamentals and tricks jem hall. If deciding to go small catamaran sailing, there is a need to learn a few catamaran sailing techniques on how to sail a small catamaran. When the boat is sailing directly downwind, it is said to be running. Light wind performance improves because the camber holds out the sail s profile. The mainsail is primarily set and controlled using the mainsheet, kicker vang and traveller. They are on starboard tack in the nw wind and port in the ne wind. Since most boats are designed for good sailing in 8 10 knots, youre pretty much screwed, unless you have multiple hoist options or the boat is a custom design, geared to light air. Going fast downwind is simply presenting the most sail area to the wind as possible, which means winging out your jib as much as possible. The basics of sailing wind is the key the boats with the wind hitting their starboard right side are on starboard.

Hoist your sail with minimum halyard tension then sheet the sail appropriately for the point of sail. Windsurfing light wind fundamentals and tricks youtube. May 12, 2015 improve your laser sailing techniques with tips from top british sailing team sailor nick thompson. But its not a case of chucking the rig about, its important to focus using the right skill for the right time, simon bornhoft explains the best three moves to learn in light winds. The u20 is really a fantastic light air phrf machine.

Many years ago i voluntarily turned my back on the most powerful aid to light wind sailing known to man when i gave up smoking. Sailing in light air is certainly a skill that needs to be taught by sailing schools when learning to sail. When there is too much wind, take the sail down, roll it up, and stow it on the right side of the cockpit. You can s%ll sail, race and have fun outside these weight brackets. Sailing can provide adventure, relaxation, recreation, and just good old fun. When going upwind, once twist is set using the mainsheet, the traveller is used to power or depower the boat. Planning through jibes in light winds here are some tips from the sailworks loft on how to plane through your jibes in even the lightest winds. The top sailors are able to maintain their vmg while constantly observing the conditions on the course to make strategic tactical decisions. If the wind increases and the boat tips to leeward you can move to sit on the gunwale side. Best boat for light air lake sailing sailing anarchy. The highest most catamarans can point into the wind and sail efficiently, is an angle between 35 and 50.

Sailing is a sport fueled by the wind and the passion of the sailors who take the helm. Upwind in light to moderate conditions, dont use the vang, simply keep it snug. If the boat stalls a great deal of ground will be lost. Learn more about the basics of sailing, and different types of sailboats. If you are sitting or kneeling in the cockpit behind the main sheet block, then moving fwd should allow you to stay with or be. At the rearward base of the mast is the mast spanner which controls the amount of overrotation of the mast. A halyard raises or lowers a sail and would thus be attached to the head of the sail. Short of that, motor sailing is an optionor consider a new destination. Larger and larger sail areas will increase the downwind speed incrementally in terms of small decimal differences but never equal to wind velocity. Adjustments for fast down wind speed usually take care of themselves if you have good up wind speed. The worlds most hightech wind indicators are crude and insensitive compared to the curling wisp of tobacco smoke. The clew of the headsail rises, the upper panels of the sail stop working and the leach simply starts flapping, destabilizing the sail and allowing the wind to escape upwards, thus producing no drive. If you sail in lighter winds a longboard is a good first choice, and good investment that youll likely keep as long as you windsurf. Free parking, i believed, is a fundamental right when cruising under sail, and if you want to be a true cruiser you must exercise it as much as possible.

Sailing is a little harder at the high wind side and the low wind side. In smaller catboats, the cockpit is so large that getting pooped could be disastrous. As you can see, it is important that you keep track of the wind at all times, particularly what your course is relative to the wind direction. To get into this range you will need a 490 new boom and sail i went thru that a few season back and i choose to go for the 490 and utalize sails with athe adjustable top. Most positions in a race are won or lost going up wind, especially to the first windward mark after the start. Such a sail will not power your big wide board up onto a plane easily in usual wind conditions. Their combined affect is to adjust the sail angle to the wind and the amount of twist in the sail. Nov 30, 2015 x35 minni, moonsund regattamuhu vaina regatt 2015. One can see that the boat which tacks in headers is sailing straight up the course toward the windward mark while the other is sailing back and forth across the course.

Make sure the pintles align well with the gudgeons and there is minimal slop between them and in the joint between rudder and tiller. When sailing on this point of sail, the wind will be coming. In heavy air, the flatter, moreopen sections depower the sail and help keep the boat on its feet. In light air, it often pays to reach up, sailing with the jib in normal position. Eventually youll want a short board to use the 5meter sail that likely came with your board. For the money probably one of the best super cheap light air lake boats ive seen just clean house over and over was the holder 20 can be had for cheap and in the right hands goes like hell in the light. But, here are some very key points you can learn that will get you moving through the water on light wind days.

When i was a younger man, with less money and a stronger back, i was a regular anchoring snob. Using the kicker, mainsheet and traveller to best effect. All angles given exclude the effects of apparent wind. Having the right amount of mainsail twist is perhaps the single biggest key to upwind boat speed, especially on the new breed of fast sailboats. How to learn basic windsurfing with pictures wikihow. Heavy hitters for light air by carol hasse o riginally published in cruising world magazine, may 2005. Whoops, by turning the wheel all the way over a large amount of drag was imparted to the boat. In flat water the speed differences are relatively small and the boat requires little steering and body movement. In light apparent wind velocity, you can leave just a hint of wrinkles.

We will establish the sprit to the prevailing wind. Oppie tuning optimist tuning guide dinghy sailing at. It is normally centralised but can be hoisted to windward in light airs or to. All the u20 light air events ive always cleaned up big time sailing solo or two up. Jan 11, 2016 when the wind is light, its even more important. As you turn toward the wind from a beam reach to a close reach to closehauled, you must gradually trim your sails to keep them from luffing. Some sailing catamaran classes have a loose footed mainsail that is set without a boom where the multipart mainsheet tackle attaches directly to the clew. Shop short finger gloves and long finger gloves styles for traditional sailing gloves with great grip and protection. I dont think it matters on the sail its the sail size and the board thats important.

Light sailors often sail higher and faster because they dont need such a powerful curved sail. The catamaran sail is fully battened at approximately 1 metre intervals giving an almost rigid, preshaped aerofoil. Typically the swivel experiences two different loads from the halyard and the sail, both vertical and lateral. Before we begin with sailing theory, here are some tips on making your. Sep 17, 2014 simply put, a design can be optimized for light air work, but itll suck when the wind picks up and naturally the reverse is true as well. From understanding sailing terms, to sailboat sizes, uses and activities. High performance racing yachts at about 27 35 off the. Learn the secrets to become a better skipper, under sail or power. Australians are not as good in light winds as their european counterparts. Trimming the mainsail boat handling sail cruising tips. The points of sail at which sailing craft can achieve highest speeds span between a beam reach 90 to the true wind and a broad reach about 5 away from the true wind. Describe the procedures for reducing sail using a roller furling jib and a mainsail reefing system. Apr 27, 2016 the boom vang pulls down on the mainsail clew and controls twist when the boom is eased out for offwind sailing.

To start a wing, sail low, ease the spinnaker, then commit and pull the boom over, making sure theres some vang on so the top batten pops correctly. The current racing sail performs best in light and medium air with the outhaul eased enough to open the shelf. Running dead before the wind under jib and main requires careful steering to avoid an accidental jibe. Be careful of overvanging in light winds and undervanging. A sheet is a rope that controls the angle of the sail to the wind. So for racing or sailing in light fluky conditions cambers are must. Try to ignore it because i cant figure out how to edit it out. As the wind speeds exceed optimal range, the kayak will become more difficult to control. As the boat gains speed it becomes much easier to gain height. The sail will work even in very light wind because of the benefit of pedaling to create apparent wind.

To enjoy yourself on a sailboat, you need to know the basic sailing maneuvers, sail positions, and rules of the waterway for when you encounter other vessels. For fast course laying drop the pin end first and take a true wind reading from that mark. The angles in the next section are valid only in light wind conditions. In the summer, wear light color clothes and a hat or visor. The best way to measure this is to run the halyard from the tip of the mast.

High wind is also better because the camber stops the sail profile from shifting in big gusts. A sail tuned for fullness has a greater curve to the sail providing power in light wind, waves, and for heavier sailors. Follow these five easy sailing tips to help your small sailboat perform better, with or without specialized light air sails. Rather than muscling a hull through rough water, the challenge becomes delicately sailing a rig through slowly moving air. If you are lighter, you will do becer in light winds, if you are heavier. Paul goodison, gives some tips on sailing upwind and tacking in light winds. Through volvos sponsorship of the british sailing team, we individually support the top. In waves, technique plays a role because sailing fast requires a great deal of body movement. Captain johns cuttothechase sailing tips have helped thousands of sailors worldwide. These are average performance statistics based on experience sailing our designs, based on 11 12 m cruising designs such as our cosmos 1100, wilderness 1120 and wilderness 1250. Optimist tuning guide grogs 1107 uae race coach page 1 optimist tuning guide prepare to perform oppie tuning tuning the oppie is very subjective, it is tailored to the individual sailor, their weight, strength, style of sailing against the factors of sea state, wind speed, equipment and i even take into account the childs mood.

Each change of the winds angle to the boat requires a sail adjustment. Heading upwind is more demanding in a catamaran sailboat than it is in a dinghy and requires practice. As velocity increases, wrinkles will reappear and additional halyard tension will be needed. In very light winds, especially in flat water, you want to flatten the mains ail helping. Chartering i also wrote this guide because i often go cruising with friends who have never sailed before. Sailing wing and wing can be tactically useful for short periods. This never happens to such extremes, but the same occurs in small sailing wind shifts with small gains and losses. One of the weaknesses of the bermudian rig becomes apparent the moment that sheets are eased. But it has a big downside, a more rounded sail prevents you from pointing as high as a flatter sail. Sailing your hobie cat safe and sane guideline for the beginner. One way of finding that extra power is to use a kite. Wind should flow easily around the sail in light air.

Youll have someone on the helm and they will turn the wheel to tack. A third way to determine sailing wind shifts is by your relative position to other boats. Balance your weight further outboard as the boat begins to tip or. Learn to sail like a pro when you know the secrets to keep your sailboat moving in super light winds. My suggestion is to position your body center of mass at about the dagger board to lift the stern out of the water. On larger boats with several crew members, divide up the jobs so that everyone can feel useful. May 24, 2019 when the boat is sailing across the wind, with the wind coming directly from either side the beam, the boat is on a beam reach. Due to the one single large sail, the skipper must understand the need to reef earlier before the winds and the sail become unmanageable. Another hybrid light air sail that blurs the distinction between headsail and spinnaker is the code zero. Balancing the boat when sailing, sit on the upwind side of the boat wind on your back just in front of the tiller, facing the sail. With the sail now loaded, tension the halyard just enough to remove any horizontal wrinkles emanating from the luff wrinkles will be at right angles to the luff.

You can leave just a hint of wrinkles in light apparent wind velocity. Carve jibe, how to gybe, jibing tips technique tutorial windsurfing duration. Be on your feet and prepared to move sheet in enough keep the boat upright. In light air it is very important to keep the boat moving. The same rule for the mainsheet upwind applies to the boom vang. With the boat on the beach or on a dolly put the rig up and hoist the sail. Those who train properly in lighter conditions always progress quicker. Light winds require a subtle and accurate sailing technique. Having grown up with light inland breezes, i think the key to good light air performance is an efficient sail plan which means something slightly different to just a big sail plan. Light wind sailing tips yachts and yachting online forum.

Nowadays engines only have a light that glows when either the pressure is too low or the temperature is too high. Sailboat rigging guides expert advice west coast sailing. It keeps the bow into the wind while sailing upwind and improves your vmg to weather. In 10 to 12 knots of wind with the sails fully deployed we expect to. Its intended wind range is 312 knots apparent, and its size. Make sure the pintles align well with the gudgeons and there is minimal.

Sail terminology take in sheet in to tighten or pull on a rope hard on as tight as a sheet or sail. Light air racing is no ones favorite, but when you wake up to a glassy morning the day of a big race, you can make the most of it with these pro tips. Daggerboard deck level to help stability how we sail light winds underpowered sitting in. Normal cruising boats yachts can sail at about 45 off the apparent wind 50 to 60 off the true wind. Wind speed increases and frees a little with height. Sailing too low upwind when the wind is light is a killer as the sails will stall very easily. In fact it is not likely that you could equal wind speed in light air.