admin Date , June 28, 2025 Sailing Previous Blog Broken Ropes Comments (0)
No two sails are ever the same. The wind is stronger or lighter and blows from different directions. This week also sees on Saturday the Lightning open meeting so there are plenty of boats on the water. Paul joins us in the Start Sail as he is taught how to get the boat to move faster.
Mark sat with us for a while with Ros at the Helm, getting her to calm down and relax and look at the horizon. Then is was my turn to Tack and Gybe and when he was happy that we were safe, he let me helm with Ros as crew. Ros was balancing the boat better than before and house side and field side was working well.
Improving sailing is all about practice - but the right sort of practice. It's all about practicing the right sort of things and looking where you are going and watching the sails and the burgee for the wind direction - and I don't have a burgee on my boat - but then I don't look up a the sails often enough.
Mark the senior instructor took Paul out trying to get him to sit down and then trying to get Paul to move the boat along a bit more.
The mail sail needs to be pulled in firmly, ideally before my instructor shouts it from the safety boat (again). The sail should be just on the verge of flapping — no more, no less. If it’s flapping, you’re going sideways. If it’s too tight, you're parked. This is a skill I am just starting to learn.
