subject: How to Win Sailboat Racing — or at Least Get Started [print this page] How to Win Sailboat Racing or at Least Get Started
This article contains our advice for mastering the basics of sailboat racing:
Become a student of the sport. You can read a number of outstanding books on sailboat racing, including Expert Dinghy and Keelboat Racing by maybe the best sailboat racer ever, Paul Elvstrm, winner of four Olympic Gold Medals; the Sail To Win series (from Fernhurst Books in the United Kingdom); and Winning in One Designs by Dave Perry (the author of the other must-have book Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing). You can also find great magazines on sailboat racing, such as Sailing World, Sail, Seahorse (U.K.), and Yachting. For all the latest sailing news, check out www.sailingworld.com, www.sailing.org, and www.sailingscuttlebutt.com.
Enroll in a racing seminar. Check with your local marine store, sail loft, or sailing club for local seminars. If your local college has a sailing program, it may offer racing classes too. Here are our favorite racing seminars in the United States:
North U (www.northu.com): North U offers a variety of seminars for racers on tactics and boat speed and weather and cruising seminars too. Bill Gladstone and a host of instructors (occasionally one of us) hold North U seminars in a classroom setting.
J World (www.jworld-sailing.com): J World runs on-the-water clinics on both U.S. coasts.
Find the right boat. Most racing venues feature active fleets of boats. Some popular fleets even have casual races on weekday evenings. Many dinghies (like the Snipe or Lido 14, Lightning, 470, and Tasar) are great for husband-wife and parent-child racing teams. Make the effort to race different types of boats and to learn all the different jobs on board.
Know the rules. Successful tactics are dependent on using the rules to your advantage. For example, as you get close to a mark, the boats converge. So being on starboard tack (which has the right-of-way) on the approach gives you a tactical advantage.
Practice, practice, practice. In order to succeed on the race course, you must do many things well. You must sail fast, work well with your team, handle your boat and your sails smoothly, and acutely perceive the strategy and tactics of the race. The best racers spend much more time practicing than racing.
Sign on as a crew member. You can't improve your sailing skills unless you get out there and sail. Many local sailing magazines (you can find them at your local marine store) publish lists of interested crew. Put your name on the list. Certain regions have on-line crew lists. Join the local racing fleet and go to its dinners most people like to race with friends rather than strangers. And go to the marina where the boats dock and introduce yourself to the racers. Sometimes a boat needs a last-minute replacement, or if the weather is windy, racers may want to bring more crew on board to keep the boat from heeling too much.
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