Dinghies can’t sail directly into the wind. Instead, they have to zig-zag into it if they want to travel in that direction. This all makes Olympic Sailing on the TV very confusing for the none-sailor types! But it also makes our sport far more strategical than it would be if we could just sail in …
Upwind Sailing Tactics Tactics can be the difference between success and disaster when it comes to dinghy racing. And upwind sailing is where tactics come into play the most. But… before we start lets define the difference between tactics and strategy so we’re all clear. Strategy is your plan to get round the race course …
Tacking is by far the most common maneuver sailors do, so it’s the most important one to get right. The key to tacking well is to use the sails and your body weight to do as much steering as possible, rather than using the rudder, which creates drag. Following the process below should help you …