Racing in RS200 Sailing Dinghy

How to start Dinghy Sailing

Ten Heavy Weather Sailing Tips You Need to Know

If you are anything like me, heavy weather sailing can be a challenge and make you tired fast. The more you prepare ahead of time, the more energy you will save. Follow these ten "do ahead of time" sailing tips to prepare for less fatigue and more comfort the next time the rough stuff crosses your path! 1. Make Up "Zero-Prep" Energy Bags Use small Ziplock type bags to hold high energy snacks. Combine nuts, dried fruits, tasty seeds like sesame or pumpkin, banana chips, and dried coconut for a super snack. Press the bag tight before you seal to keep air out and your energy snack will last longer when stored aboard your sailboat. 2. Top Off Your Trusty Thermos Purchase two large thermoses. Before the rough stuff arrives, fill one thermos with a hearty soup or stew. Fill the other with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. That way, you won't need to worry about boiling water in choppy seas for a nutritious meal or drink. Secret Tip - Purchase a thermos with a spigot-top conversion kit and mounting brackets. Install the brackets in a spot near your boat galley. Fill the thermos, screw on the top and close the spigot. Mount the thermos "bottoms-up" in the brackets. Now you have a safe, fast, easy way to pour soup or your favorite beverage in any sailing weather! 3. Eat Before the Weather Arrives at Your Boat Fix a light meal with pasta if you expect rough seas when sailing. Stay clear of greasy, fried foods. Concentrate on foods that you boil, broil, or bake. Pasta has a good reputation as a "tummy tamer" when it comes to sea sickness. It's economical, easy to digest, nutritious, and provides good energy for sailing in rough weather. 4. Lash and Stow Below Check the galley for loose pots, plates, and silverware. Wrap silverware in towels to avoid clanging. Store pots in cabinets. Stuff towels or pieces of foam between stacks of dishes, glasses, or pots and pans to keep things in place and noise to a minimum. 5. Keep a Clothes Change Handy Pull out a full change of clothes. Fold and stow in an oversized Ziplock or waterproof bag outside of your sailing duffel bag. You want this change of clothes ready in an instant so you won't need to hunt around for it. Include underwear and socks. If you get soaked when sailing, you will want to slide into a set of dry clothes right away. Do this now to save you time and effort later. 6. Clear the Decks for Clean Decks Studies of past heavy weather sailing races show that those racing sailboats with clean, uncluttered decks had an easier time. Take a tip from the racing crowd. Check the outside decks from bow to stern. Neaten up sheets and lines. Turn cowl vents around to face astern to prevent water intrusion below; in extreme conditions, remove the cowl vents, stow them below, and screw covers in their place. Keep decks clean for safer sailing in any weather. 7. Add extra Lashings Check all lashings on deck-stowed Jerry jugs (cans), propane bottles, life raft canister, dinghy, and anchors. Double or triple lashings with small diameter line. Seas that break aboard can break weak lashings like a knife going through butter. Make lashings strong and robust to keep deck-stowed gear in place. 8. Seal Ports and Hatches No matter what the manufactures tell you, expect ports and hatches to leak. Heavy weather or squalls can bring high winds, seas, and horizontal driving rain that will find any nook and cranny. Use strong, waterproof duct tape to seal around ports and hatches on the inside your cabin. This will keep water out and dryness in for greater crew comfort in heavy weather sailing. 9. Set Up Sails Now Hank on your storm jib or trysail now with sheets run, halyards cleared, and all ready to hoist. If you decide to delay on the hoist, stop off the sail along the deck with sail ties or next to the mast (in the case of a trysail). This way, your storm sails will be ready to set in a matter of seconds when you need them. 10. Rest and Hydrate Often Heavy weather sailing saps energy like few other activities. Get as much rest as possible between watches. Remember to keep hydrated with water or non-sugar energy drinks like Gatorade or Emergen-C. These beverages replace critical electrolytes and minerals that you will use to keep your balance, hang on when heeling, or move about when changing sails or standing watch. Remind your sailing crew to rest and hydrate for greater comfort. Follow these ten heavy weather sailing tips to get ready before the tough stuff arrives aboard your boat. These tips will help keep your sailing crew safe and sound and provide them with more comfort--wherever in the world you choose to cruise! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7046795

Light Wind Sailing Tips

Learn to sail like a pro with these sailing tips for light wind sailing. Use these easy tips for light air sailing in the gentle winds of dawn's first light or the ghost-like breezes of a moonlit night. Keep Your Boat Moving Forward Imagine that you have your foot on the accelerator of your car, moving ahead at a slow speed. All of a sudden, you run out of gas. You need to find a place to pull off to the side of the road. You see a spot way up ahead about a half mile. Your car slows down more and more. You will need to use every trick in the book to keep your car's forward momentum going to make it to the pull-off ahead. You could try to keep the wheels straight to provide less resistance, look for inclines to build up a bit of speed, keep the tires on the smooth part of the road, or steer as straight as possible. All of these could make a difference in the acceleration or deceleration of your "out-of-gas" auto. You can use these same techniques in super light air in sailing. For this article, we will concentrate on winds of 0 to 5 knots. Some sailors call these winds 'zephyrs' or refer to this type of sailing as 'ghosting'. Your #1 goal will be to maintain forward momentum at all times. Just like the opening scenario, you want to keep moving to reach your objective. Slow down too much or stop and it will be difficult to get her going again. Follow these five fast tips to maintain momentum in light air sailing. Nautical Notes You Need to Know: Wind speed or boat speed should be expressed in knots. Knots are 'per hour' the same as miles per hour. But you would never say 'knots per hour'. Convert from one to the other like this: mph x.87 = knots; or knots x 1.15 = mph. For metric users, knots x 1.852 equals km; km x 0.54 = knots. Use Smaller Sails to Fill and Go You might think that light wind means you need a bigger sail to catch all the wind you can. But sails have weight--lots of weight--and weight won't keep your boat going forward. Use a little-known strategy and go for a smaller sail on a super light air day. Choose sails that are smaller, lighter weight to help your boat maintain forward motion in zephyr winds. Under Trim Your Sails Wind flows onto both sides of your sails. Your objective will be to keep that wind attached from the luff to the leech as long as possible. In light air, you will have more wind near the top of the mast. That's because less surface friction allows the wind to flow without resistance. Ease your sails more than you think necessary. This will cause the upper part of your sails to 'twist' just a bit to help the wind stay attached longer. Use the magic of under-trim in ghosting conditions and you will often be rewarded with better performance. Move Like You Whisper Ask your crew to move fore and aft along the center-line as much as possible. Keep the boat level to prevent loss of speed. If they need to shift to the other side, move at a slow pace. This will help keep the boat flat with forward momentum. Sit Forward and to Leeward Sails have a tough time in light air. The weight of sailcloth can cause them to flap like clothing on a line. Shift the crew weight forward and to the downwind (leeward--pronounced "loo-ward")side. Weight forward lifts the stern a bit, which means less hull friction; weight to leeward will help the sails fall into their natural shape through gravity and prevents 'slatting' (flapping in light air). Use Swooping When Beating to Windward Use swooping to maintain forward motion when your destination lies upwind. In light air on a close hauled course, your speed may drop off quite a bit. When it does, fall off to a close reach course. Wait for the boat to build up speed again. Use a slow, smooth motion with the wheel or tiller to 'swoop' back up to your close hauled course. Keep sailing close hauled until your speed starts to drop off again. Then, fall off the wind to a close reaching course to build up speed; then swoop back up to your close hauled course. Repeat this swooping sequence to keep your boat moving with good forward motion when beating in super light air. Learn to sail like a pro with these light wind sailing tips. You will experience more speed, power, and performance in the gentle breezes over the water-wherever in the world you choose to sail! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7033105

Top 60 Sailing Tips

Isle of Wight solo sail for cerebral palsy girl

A 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy will sail solo around the Isle of Wight to raise £30,000 for charity. Natasha Lambert, from Cowes, has athertoid cerebral palsy which affects all of her limbs and speech. Her 21ft-long (6.4m) boat, Miss Isle Too, was adapted by her father, Gary, and allows her to steer by sucking and blowing into a tube. Natasha hopes to complete the 50-mile (80km) course on Sunday in 10 to 14 hours. 'Epic journey' Her mother, Amanda, said: "She's so excited but it's going to be an epic journey." The route, which will start at Cowes at 06:00 BST, will take Natasha in an anti-clockwise direction around the island, via The Needles and on to St Catherine's Point. Natasha, who started sailing when she was 12, hopes the journey will raise £30,000 for Isle of Wight Scope, Cowes RNLI Life Boat and the Ellen MacArthur Trust. She said her next challenge would be the Atlantic, which she described as "my ultimate dream".

ORACLE TEAM USA's first AC72 sail

Sailing Club Spotlight Melton Sailing Club

MELTON Sailing Club is looking for a new home after being given just two weeks to quit their current base. Owners Celtic Lakes Resort Frisby Ltd gave the club notice on the day more than 80 people had taken part in a try sailing Olympic legacy event. Members held a small protest on Saturday as they cleared the remaining boats from Frisby Water Park, their home for the past 40 years, and put them into storage. Commodore Mike Sharpe said: “At a time when the whole country is celebrating the success of Team GB at the Olympic Games we think it is tragic that a valuable sports facility should be lost to the people of Melton borough. “More than 80 people came to our Olympic legacy event to try their hand at sailing and over the years we have taught some 2,000 people to sail as we are a Royal Yachting Association Training Centre, the only one in Leicestershire. It’s a real shame to see it go.” Mr Sharpe said the club thought it had a reasonable relationship with new site owner John Carney, believing sailing would be an added attraction to would-be buyers of the new lodge park which is being developed. He said: “We didn’t see this coming. We took legal advice and while ultimately Celtic Lakes was probably within its rights to tell us to leave we do believe the short notice period was unreasonable. “We could have made a big fuss and perhaps won leave to hold on to the clubhouse for six months but we exist to sail for fun, not to wrangle.” Mr Carney said the decision was made because it had become increasingly difficult for the fisheries and sailing club to operate side by side. He said: “We have tried to make the two work over the past 12 months but they just don’t and our primary business is to develop a lodge park and fishery. “We are developing the resort and things are about to move at a very quick pace with the arrival of nine lodges in the next six weeks. “We plan to turn the clubhouse into an administration block and then extend it to create a bar, restaurant and shop.” Celtic Lakes has planning permission for 59 lodges in total and says it will be investing some £13.5m over the next five years. The sailing club, which has 120 members including about 30 cadets, is being supported by Melton Council which is scouring the borough for a new sailing base. Ronan Browne, Melton Council’s people manager, said: “We have been working with the club for 12 months and are keen to see a vibrant sailing club like this remain in the borough. We have agreed to store equipment free of charge in a unit we own and look at all options.” Councillors Joe Orson, Edward Hutchison and Trevor Moncrieff have all been trying to resolve the situation, too. An ongoing dispute about public access to the beauty spot is due to go before the county council’s regulatory board in October or November for adjudication.

FLYING START FOR PARALYMPICS: Plain sailing so far in medal quest

BRITAIN’S sailors got off to a flying start in the opening weekend of Paralympic Sailing races on home waters. Fiercely competitive fleet racing in Port-land Harbour saw the ParalympicsGB contenders make gains towards achieving the country's first medals in the three keelboat classes. After four races, quadruple Skud-18 World Champions Alex Rickham and crewmate Niki Birrell are second overall in the 11-boat fleet, just one point behind their Australian rivals Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch. The American team of Jen French and JP Creignou are third, with seven races to go, following two wins yesterday. Helm Rickham, 30, said: “We don't really like being pushed down the leaderboard but it's quite tough conditions and obviously the Americans showed great pace all day to take two bullets. “We had a bad start in the first race but managed to battle back to fourth so we're pretty happy with that. “In the second race there was a bit of a dog fight going on, we ended up doing some turns for something, I'm not sure if we needed to, but all in all we're quite happy with the day.” Rickham said it was still early days but every race counted. She added: “We’ve worked at this for four years, if we can’t do it now it’s not going to happen. This is it.” Related links •FLYING START FOR PARALYMPICS: Families are so proud Ads by Google Paralympics: Watch Live On 4. On Now. Online. Paralympics live from your PC www.channel4.com/Watch-Live Weymouth Hotel Deals Weymouth Hotel Deals From £25 Only Grab a Great Hotel Deal Online Now! BookDirectRooms.com/Weymouth-Hotel Helena Lucas enjoyed a flying start in the 16-boat 2.4mR fleet on Saturday but slipped from first to third place overall yesterday after taking a 720-degree penalty turn in race four for allegedly ‘rocking’ the boat to increase its speed. The 37-year-old denied the charge and said: “From my point of view I was steering the boat in the waves, which in the 2.4 creates a rocking motion. “Look at the size of me – I’m not very big to rock the boat but it’s a jury decision, that's the way it goes.” Lucas intended to unwind watching her football team Southampton against Manchester United and then ‘keep chipping away’ to get on the podium. Drama in the 2.4mR class on Saturday saw reigning World Champion Damien Seguin, of France, disqualified from race two following a protest by his Canadian rival for a starting line incident. The Athens gold medallist fell from second to ninth place but progressed to sixth overall after yesterday’s races. Meanwhile, the British Sonar Team of John Robertson , Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas clawed their way back from 10th to fifth place in their last race yesterday, to lie fifth overall in the 14-boat Sonar fleet. The trio made an unsuccessful redress request on Saturday, after a confusing X flag made them unnecessarily turn back to the starting line in race two, costing vital places. But skipper Robertson, 40, said their plan still remained to ‘get the job done and nail it’. Crewmate Thomas added that Weymouth and Portland was ‘showcasing itself as a fantastic sailing venue’.

Sailability Scotland

Sailing Club Spotlight Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Clubs

YOU can sum up what most people know about sailing in two words: Ben Ainslie. He, as if you needed telling, is the fella who made it four Olympic golds in a row in London, famously remarking ‘don’t make me angry’ when that Danish bloke ganged up with another competitor to bully Ainslie into second place. He came back and won, but just how he did it is a mystery to most. The BBC commentators’ attempts to explain were gallant but let’s be honest – as spectator sports go, sailing isn’t exactly the best. To the layman it appears as though Ainslie and his peers sit on the side of the boat and fiddle with the sail. The vessel bobs forward. And that’s it. That, however, is most certainly not the case, as I discovered after digging out my waterproofs and joining the members at Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club. As someone who once vomited 11 times on an overnight ferry to France, I admit I was a tad concerned about going sailing. I prefer being on solid ground as opposed to water. I find there’s less chance of drowning. First thing I discovered – apart from how exceptionally friendly the yacht club members are – is how enjoyable and how relaxing it is. That said, it isn’t possible to switch off completely for sailing isn’t like getting in a rowing boat. There is much to learn and all sorts of weird terms to get to grips with, such as telltales (the string on the sail), the jib (the front sail), halliard (rope to raise the sail), and the tiller (steering). That said, the most important thing of all is wind. None of that, or too much, and it’s impossible to sail. There are two styles of boats. The dinghy is for one or two people, the type Ainslie sails; offshore yachts are larger and capable of sailing from, say, Fleetwood to the Isle of Man. I was on the latter, in the capable of hands of Peter and Michael, a pair who have sailed together for many moons and were good company as well as good as dishing out advice. I needed plenty of that for I didn’t know what I was doing, but according to those at the club – on the bank of the River Wyre at the end of Wyre Road in Skippool – it doesn’t take too long to get to grips with the basics. “With 10 hours of experience on water I reckon you can be reasonably self-reliant,” said Stuart Fitton. He is the club’s commodore, the boss, and when it comes to sailing he knows what he’s talking about. Born in Poulton and a club member since he was 14, Mr Fitton has entered competitions all over the world, including the Sydney-Hobart race. He was also in the infamous 1979 Fast Net race from England to Ireland and back, when gale-force winds struck. Of the 306 yachts that started, only 86 returned. 15 people lost their lives. “It was pretty horrific,” recalled Stuart. “Fortunately I’d read a book about what to do if it turned nasty so we managed to get through.” Of course, that is sailing at the highest level. You don’t get that if you pop to the yacht club at a weekend, which is exactly what people will have the chance to do on Saturday week when the club holds an open day, from 10.30am to 1.30pm. All are welcome and with the Olympics and the success of Ben you-know-who, chances are it will be a bumper turnout and I, for one, can thoroughly recommend it. 
For more information about the Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club open day go to: www.bfyc.org.uk.

Life Jackets Types and Tips About Them

A Life jacket is designed to save your life. It is first and last line of defense between you and unforgiving water. Here are few tips why is a life jacket so important. - It will help against hypothermia. You will be able to pull your legs to your chests and with that you will preserve body heat. That is important because it could take some time for the rescue to arrive. - Most jackets are in bright colors which increases possibility of being spotted. There are also types with retro reflective tape sewn to the fabric, so spotting a person in the dark is not a problem. - Nobody plans to fall overboard, but if that happens and you are wearing a life jacket the possibility of drowning is greatly reduced. Because of the jacket your head is above the water so there is no room for panic Life jackets types. It is important to know that a life jacket won't work if it doesn't fit, because it depends on a person size how much amount of buoyancy he or she needs to remain afloat. They come in infant, child, youth and adult sizes and they include weight and chest measurements. It is important that jacket fits so you don't slip out of it. If it's too big then there is possibility that you will have problems with breathing and if it's too small the snaps and buckles might break. Almost every flotation device is most commonly made of a tough synthetic fiber material which retains a source of buoyancy, such as foam or a chamber of air. There are also several types of inflation methods for air-only life jackets, like oral method in which case your jacket must be fully inflated before using. The rest of the methods are manual, automatic and hydrostatic. It is important to know which method your jacket uses and how it works so there wouldn't be any surprises. There are five types of life jackets. First three are for recreational use. Fourth and fifth are not for small boats. They are for throwing to a conscious person in the water and they can't be worn. Type I - is effective in all types of water, especially if you need to wait a little bit longer for rescue. This one provides the most buoyancy and floats the best. It is easy to put on and design to turn most people who are unconscious in the water from face-down position to a face-up position. Type II -is intended for calm, inland water and when rescue is possible in a very short time. It will turn some unconscious wearers to a face-up position, but not all of them. Type III - good for conscious wearers in calm, inland water and where rescue is possible in a very short time. This type is very comfortable for continuous wear. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6813428

49er Sailing