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Sailing Races Tips
Improving Your VMG
In speed sailing jargon, VMG (Velocity Made Good) is the measurement of time it takes to cover a distance between two points. This measurement combines your boat’s speed, angle, and distance. Footing, or sailing lower, can adjust your angle and sufficiently increase your speed, depending on wind conditions and the craft you’re sailing. To find out what you and your boat are capable of, experiment with footing off (when you are moving upwind) and reaching up (when you are heading down wind). Set marks for both and try out different angles. Be sure to time yourself and keep a record. GPS units are a great took for marking your VMG.
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The Colgate 26
Offshore Sailing School Tip: A one design sailboat gets its name from the design of its hull. Depending on the hull design, these classes of boats are then raced against each other, and only against each other. One of the most popular one design sailboats is the Colgate 26.
The Colgate 26 family sport boat® is a multipurpose daysailer sailboat This one design sailboat is also a competitive racer with plenty of room for the racing crew or family members. In the security of its big, ergonomically designed cockpit you have plenty of room to move around, experiencing the feel of a larger boat with features that make sailing easy and safe. After learning on a Colgate 26, you are prepared to go on to racing or comfortably make the transition to cruising boats.
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Finishing a Yacht Race
Yacht racing is not only a visual spectacle; it’s a real thrill from start to finish. In fact, one of the most overlooked portions of the race is how you finish. When a runner reaches the finish line, s/he often thrusts his/her body forward with the last bit of strength. This ensures a win but also cuts time. In the same manner, if you feel you have enough speed -- and are at least a boat length from the finish line -- you can shoot pasr the boat ahead, straight into the wind. The distance before the finish will decrease considerably. However, be absolutely sure you have enough speed before attempting to throw your craft over the line. If you don’t you’ll run the risk of stopping short and losing your winning position.
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The Paradox of Sailboat Racing
Offshore Sailing School Tip: If you want to win a sailboat race, the key is to make a very detailed plan...and then be ready to scrap it. Before sailboat racing, you'll need to know the ins and outs of the boat, the crew, the water, the weather (as much as you can predict it for the race day), the course, and how to make the boat work to its maximum potential. And practice, practice, practice! Once you begin the race, however, anything can happen. Weather can change, a competing boat and crew could be better (or worse) than you anticipated, etc. In sailboat racing, be willing to throw out all pre-planning in an instant and work with the immediate situation at hand. This is where your in-depth knowledge of boat and crew will be most useful.
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Tacking Tip for a Catamaran
Shifting through winds (or tacking) during a catamaran race can be a difficult skill to master, since a catamaran has two hulls (as opposed to the one that a dinghy has) to turn through the water. Because of the two hulls, tacking can be very slow. To speed up the process, back the jib sail in order to help shift the bows in the direction you desire. Lean your body as far aft as you can to put more weight behind moving the bows. Once you have hit the center of the wind, ease your mainsheet. This will assist in getting you quickly moving on the new tack.
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Racing Insurance
You will need boating insurance if you intend to do any offshore boat racing. The company that provides you with this insurance should be the same as the one that holds your annual policy. Depending on where and how far you intend to race, your fees will vary. Additionally, your broker will need time to research the risk factors and come up with a quote. For this reason, you need to find a broker who is experienced with offshore boating a year or two before the race. Develop a rapport with him/her and get your annual insurance. By the date of the race, you will have proved yourself to have a safe track record and will ideally get a better rate for your race.
