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SAILING TECHNIQUES and MANEUVERS

Basic Principles of Sailing Yachts

Sailing Downwind

Sailing Techniquesmay vary according to the manner in which

the yacht are rigged, but the essential principles are the same

for all Sailing Yachts. The simplest and easily understood point of

sailing your AY Instructorwill show you is Running before the

wind. As the term indicates, the boat followsthe same course

that the wind is blowing. As theleft hand yachtin Figure 1

shows the sail is setat approximately 90 angleto the

longitudinal axis of the boatcommonly referred to as Sail Angle

with power derived from the push of the wind on the sails.

Reaching - Sailing across the WindBack to Introduction to SailingSyllabus

In Sailing off the wind, as the middle yachtin Figure 1shows,

the wind reaches the craftfrom the side, or beam, and the sails

are setat approximately 45 from the longitudinal axis of the

yacht.In this sailing position the general principle of wind action

is that the wind flows at a greater rate of speed along the forward

surface of the sail, creating an area of lower pressure ahead of the

sail. The actual force exerted by the wind is at right angles to the

sail, as indicated by the dotted line a.This force would tend to

drive the boat at an oblique angleif the hull of the boat were

perfectly flat. Every sailboat, however, is equipped with a fixed

keel or a retractable centerboard, which acts as a flat

longitudinal plane to prevent the boat from moving sideways

through the water. The effect of this plane is shown by the dottedline b, and the actual course of the boat, which is the result of

both the force of the windand the resisting force of the keel, is

the dotted line crepresenting forward and possibly sideways

motion.

Sailing Upwind

Sailing on the winda sailboat can make a courseof

approximately 45 away from the wind direction, as right hand

yachtin Figure 1shows. By sailing a succession of such courses,

first to the leftand then to the rightof the wind directionby

using a maneuver called tacking to change sides, sailboats canzigzagin an upwind direction, as shown in Figure 2. A Sailing

Yacht is said to be on the Starboard tackwhen the wind is

blowing from the right or starboard side, and to be on a Port tack

when the wind is blowing from the left or port side.

L1 Techniques and Maneuvres - Basic Principles of Sailing Yachts,... http://asianyachting.com/AYmasters/l1tech&ma

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Stopping - Basic 'Hove-To' PositionBack to Introduction to SailingSyllabus

After completely releasing the sheetsallowing the sails to flap

freely, try letting the tiller goand you will find that the boat looks

after itself. Coming to restand sitting quietly in the water, almost at

right angles to the wind. We call this the 'basic hove-to'position,

and you will use it again and again as a starting point for exercises like

reefing the mainsail and as a chance for a rest, to change over crew

or for the AY Instructorto explain a particular maneuver.

From this position you will find how, by pulling in one sail or the

other, you will cause the boat to turn into or away from the wind.

You will also discover that heeling(leaning) the boat one way or

another will affect its steering. Finally, by raising and lowering the

centerboardyou will find how the boat will "skid"across the water

with no centerboard down.

Tacking

If we want to reach a windward objective, it will be necessary to

zigzagup towards it, changing direction each time by tackingor

'Coming About'. Once this technique of tacking is mastered, by

demonstration and practice, you have the basic knowledge

required to sail off, turn round and return.

Tacking- Loosely used to mean the same as 'going about' -

turning the bow of the boat through the wind. In racing terms, ayacht is tacking strictly from the moment when the wind is dead

aheaduntil she has borne awayonto the new course

The yacht must be steeredso that its bow points up into the

windand then away from the windon the opposite tack. As the

boat points into the wind, it loses speed as the sails are being

pressed backwardby the wind. Then as the bow moves away

from the wind release the windward jib sheetand quickly

transfer the sailto the other tack, the sails fill with wind again and

assume a position on the other side of the yacht.During the

time of coming about, the boat is receiving no motive force from the

wind; it must rely on its inertiato maintain enough speed so that it

can be steered onto the opposite tack. When the boat does not

have sufficient inertia, and stops with its bow pointing into the wind

and its sails useless, it is said to be in 'Irons'.

Getting out of 'Irons' (being stuck head to

wind)Back to Introduction to SailingSyllabus

In your early tacking you may find you get stuck halfwaythrough

No Go Zone

By trying to sail closer towards the wind,

you will find that you have to pull the sails

in harder, until you reach the stage

when, even though they are pulled in

tightly, they still start to flap. This is the

limit of windward sailingof your yacht

on that tack or the edge of the "No Go

Zone"into which it is impossible to sail

no matter who you are.


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the maneuver, with the boat stationaryhead to wind, or in 'irons'.

Don't worry, simply remember the routine of "push, push"- that is

push the tiller and the boom away from you and wait. The boat will

slowly start sailing backwardsand will turn awayfrom the wind.

Then you reverse the routine with "pull, pull"on tiller and

mainsheet and you're offagain.

The photo-sequence (below)shows the techniquesof tackingand gybingin a aft mainsheet Day-sailor most commonly used for

Sailing Instructional Coursesat recognizedYachting Centers

Gybing - turning the back of the boat through the wind

Back to Introduction to SailingSyllabus

Having got this far there is only one more new technique to learn. So far, you have changed direction by turning

into the wind but the alternative is to steerthe yacht further and further away from the direction of wind, until

it crosses the stern of the boatand fills the sails on the other side.

Gybing- Turning the stern of a yacht through the wind. Strictly speaking, a yacht is gybing when hermainsail and boom crosses the centerlinewith the wind coming from behind.She completes the gybewhen the mainsail has filled on the new tack

The important thing to remember is that, unlike tacking when the boat passes through the wind, there is

always drive in the mainsailwhen the boat is being gybed. When running before the wind, a slight shift of

wind may cause a boat to jibe unintentionally. Such jibing is dangerousbecause of the speed with which

the boom and the foot of the sail sweep uncontrollably across the yacht from one side to the other. In

wild jibing, control can be lost momentarily and, if in strong winds possibly the danger of breaking spars or

broaching and sweeping the crew into the sea. When jibing intentionally, careful sailors always haul in on the


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boom while turning, so that the boom will travel only a short distancewhen the wind reaches the other

side of the sails. Once again, the photo-sequenceshows gybing techniques in the aft mainsheet day sailor

most commonly used by AY Instructorsat recognizedYachting Centers.

Return to AYMain Menu

GO TO Introduction to Sailing - Day Skipper- CoastalYM- OffshoreYMSyllabus

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