Finding Gears

Anyone who has sailed against top sailors will know that many times you can be approaching half way up the first beat, and either in front of or in touch with some of the regatta favourites - often alongside them. A minute later the top sailor will have climbed on you, hit a gust of wind that you can’t reach, and gone from high mode to extremely fast forward compared to yourself, and from feeling great, being in touch or ahead of the good guys, you’re suddenly a hundred metres and forty boats behind them within around 90 seconds. This blog is about beginning to understand how they do that, so you can start to do it too!

Downwind – Flat or Kite?

An important skill in downwind sailing is prioritizing weather to sail the boat flat or healed to windward by the lee referred to as kiting, Sailing by the lee means that the air is flowing into the sail from the leech towards the mast as opposed to normal sailing when the air is flowing from the mast towards the leech of the sail

Trim For Speed and Height

There is a considered observation that we either have high mode or low mode sailors at the top of any fleet. Sailing high or low mode has individual advantages in different conditions, so we have to look carefully at what we mean by high or low mode. The purpose of this blog is to discuss sailing styles and blow some setup myths apart.

Aggression Pays, Sometimes

We have all read copious amounts of wisdom about sailing being a matter of coaxing the boat through various conditions, listening to what she wants to do and then using some kind of gentle psychic powers to magically steam ahead of all the opposition and win.   This blog is about the brutal truth.  Understanding... Continue Reading →

Why Core?

Muscles were never really considered too vital in sailing until around 2000. There were of course people who believed that Lasers and Windsurfers needed to be fit, but generally this was not carried over to other classes. Now we see fit sailors winning, and less fit sailors rarely doing so. There is a systematic approach that can be taken to physical training, and this begins with the core.

Sailing Simulations

Building simulators has reached a level of science in some sports which is both incredible technology and stupendously expensive - motor racing and flying spring to mind. To simulate positions to practice physical movement in sailing can be done with a little ingenuity and not too much cost. This blog deals with the why, how and when of simulators and will hopefully lead to some efficient training for you!

Consolidation

Consolidation: Safe or Stupid? To consolidate a position, whether it be in business or sport, is a well known play to minimize risk of loss.  Usually we throw a little profit away to protect a larger gain.  Sometimes we are lucky and can keep all the profit whilst securing the gains. In sailing consolidation is... Continue Reading →

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