by Simon Jollands | Boat Handling, Crewing skills, Navigation, Yacht ownership
Whether racing or cruising, a well tuned boat will sail faster and tend to heel less than a boat with badly adjusted sails. On a racing yacht, constant effort and considerable skill is required by the crew to keep the sails trimmed to gain maximum performance, added...
by Simon Jollands | Crewing skills
Gybing is the sailing manoeuvre used to change a boat’s direction through a following wind. As with the tacking manoeuvre, gybing a sailing boat calls for the crew to work together as a team and is one of the first sailing skills to learn. When a boat is sailing...
by Simon Jollands | Crewing skills
Tacking is the sailing manoeuvre used to change a boat’s direction through an oncoming wind. Tacking a sailing boat calls for the crew to work as a co-ordinated team and is one of the first sailing skills to learn. When a sailing boat is heading in the direction...
by Simon Jollands | Crewing skills
The course on which a boat is sailing can be described by its angle to the wind, not to be confused with its compass heading. The different angles to the wind are known as the points of sailing. A number of sailing terms collectively known as the points of sail are...