In this article, we compare dinghy sailing hikers from the top brands including Magic Marine, Gul, Gill, Sandiline & Rooster. This article was originally a video on the Online Sail Coach YouTube Channel. Watch the video below: Video Transcript: “So what makes a good set of hikers so 01:54 hikers contrary to many people’s beliefs …
Sailing Hikers Comparison. Reviewing Rooster/ Sandiline/ Magic Marine & More Read More »
As if sailing terminology wasn’t hard enough sailors can’t even agree to a universal spelling of the second most common sailing maneuver. Is it gybe or jibe (sometimes misspelled as “jive”)? There is no difference between the definitions, just a difference in spelling. It’s called a jibe in US English and a gybe in …
Traditional wisdom has it that the beam reach is the fastest point of sail. But is this correct, and if so, why? On a beam reach the hull travels at 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the wind angle. Sails are eased half way. But is it the fastest point of sail? Well, that depends… …
Rabbit starts, also known as gate starts, are an alternative to the traditional sailboat start. Though rarely used these days they are sometimes used in large events (so if that’s your scene read on). I’ll explain how they work and give you my top tips. How Do Rabbit Starts Work? If you’re a visual learner …
The Racing Rules of Sailing scoring abbreviations can be found in Appendix A 10. In the RRS 2021 -2024 update, World Sailing added the NSC scoring abbreviation. Let’s face it. Letters next to our name on the results sheet isn’t what we want to see. Especially when we’ve sailed a blinder only to …
There have been several important changes to the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2021-24. This post will go through them one by one and discuss the consequences out on the water. Traditionally the RRS (Racing Rules of Sailing) are released after the Olympic Games. But due to some big world event the Olympics have …
Despite a race officer’s best effort there is usually one end of the start line that is advantaged over the other. The longer the line the greater this advantage will be. There are 3 main factors that determine which end is advantaged: 1. Wind direction 2. One side of the course being favoured over …
Sailing Race Starts: How To Work Out The Best End Of The Line To Start Read More »
Being on the start line when the start gun goes is good. But it won’t help you much if you’re at a standstill as your competitors will just sail over you, leaving you in their disturbed wind and wake. If you could just reach along the line and head up as soon as the …
Dinghy Race Starts: Being On The Line With Speed Read More »
In this article you’ll learn how to make a DIY mast float using just a milk bottle, rope, and some tape. In a strong breeze having one may actually give you an advantage. They may not be the most aerodynamic of objects but there effect on your speed would be minuscule in strong winds. And …
Milk Bottle DIY Mast Float Vs. Crewsaver Mast Head Float Read More »
Telltales (also known as tell-tails) are pieces of fabric, used in sailing to assist with trimming of the sail. They can be attached to both rigging and sails to identify the wind flow in a particular area. This guide will cover all you’ll ever need to know about telltales (and more)! It will cover the …