Running the pit is more than pulling the right ropes at the right time, according to Tom Burnham. “The pitman is that communication and decision-making link between the front of…
5 tips – Essential yacht racing skills
How to sail in light winds and tide
The lighter the breeze, the more significant the effects of any current or tidal flow. Ben Saxton has raced every kind of boat, from foiling catamarans to planing dinghies to…
How to deal with problems at sea
Liz Wardley, by her own admission, hated school. “I was a very bad student, but if I can learn a skill that’s going to help me make the boat go…
Upwind in survival conditions: How to take on heavy weather
Stu Bannatyne has learned the hard way that sailing upwind in survival conditions changes your priorities. “A lot of the decisions are based around boat preservation, rather than outright speed.…
5 tips: avoiding a breakdown – so gear failure doesn’t let you down on the racecourse
It has been a tight race in a building breeze, but you’ve maintained the lead on this last beat and now just a loose cover on the boats behind should…
5 tips: how to deal with snagging weed and hooking pots on an offshore race
The sails look great and you’ve just spent money on having the keel faired and the bottom sprayed, but today the boat is off the pace, so what’s the issue?…
5 tips: finding clear air in a crowded racing fleet
For the leading boats clear air comes free, but for those locked in the middle of a competitive fleet this essential commodity is in short supply. Whether it was a…
5 tips: spinnaker drop – how to drop the kite without drama
The leeward drop and mark rounding was looking fine and you were about to nail a few more places, so how come just two minutes later you are looking at…
5 tips on developing your polar diagrams to improve your boat speed
Sails are fresh, the bottom is clean, there’s a good crew, but you’ve been losing out to similar boats on the downwind legs. The helmsman is sailing as close as…
5 tips: the port and starboard cross – the simplest rule?
With the wind slowly clocking right your original decision that the pin end was the best place to start may be in doubt, so if a half decent result is…
5 tips: calibration. It’s crucial to keep your readouts giving the true picture
We are quick to believe the readouts from our instruments, but how can we be sure they are telling us the truth? Calibrating your system is crucial. Professional navigator and…
5 tips: pre-season troubleshooting – key problems with deck gear the experts see regularly
You may have stepped off the boat at the end of the autumn series with a mental list of items that needed attending to over the winter, but how many…
5 tips: the leeward mark – learn to read situations as they develop
You’ve been catching the boat ahead since the top mark and their tactician is now screaming ‘no overlap’ as you thunder towards the three-boat zone on port gybe. There’s no…
5 tips: surfing. How to use the waves to improve your downwind performance
Gone are the days of sitting back on the downwind legs to enjoy the view. Powerful modern cruiser-racers respond much more like dinghies and need the constant application of subtle…
5 tips: the bear away, where bigs gains can be made and mistakes are costly
Mark roundings are often where big gains can be made and where mistakes can be costly. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the first weather mark where the fleet…
5 tips: how to trim your headsail for power and pace on the racecourse
The ultimate test of headsail trimming is the white heat of one-design racing and nowhere more so than at the start line. A perfect approach to the line on time…
5 tips: mainsail trimming. Getting the best from your main can turn it into a tactical weapon
“More speed!” is the call from the weather rail. The helmsman is telling you he’s got too much helm and all eyes are on the mainsheet trimmer to sort the…
5 tips: how to avoid a crash gybe from a world champion TP52 sailor
The wind is rising steadily and what has been an exhilarating sail on a perfect day for racing has turned into a battle for survival. As you are braced in…
5 tips: when, why and how to take a penalty in a yacht race – advice from top match racer Ian Williams
“It’s close, but we are easily clearing them,” is the call from the tactician as you beat to windward on port tack. But the breeze is veering and the other…
5 tips: going aground – how to get off the bricks as quickly as possible
Jonty Sherwill asked seasoned Solent racer Paul Heys for his 5 tips on staying afloat and getting back under way when you’ve gone aground