Five ways to improve your sailing skills

Once when I was an inexperienced moth sailor trying to come ashore in Sorrento, VIC,  I had to sail downwind at speed while dodging anchor lines and moored boats.   It was a ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ situation as I had a whole fleet behind me and no time to hesitate.   And, I had to get back to shore somehow. 


Like any challenging points in life sometimes having a simple way forward and a few tools up your sleeve makes the difference. 


If you or someone in your family has lost confidence in your sailing ability somewhere along the way then the following words are for you. 


Do you want to get back to a place where you find pleasure in planing downwind on waves, or making the most of good weather, relax time and time for good internal reflections?


Fear of failing to get the boat off the shore on the first go, of looking silly or having to be rescued are fears we all have when starting out. 


Here are a few steps to get you moving forward again (so to speak). 


⛵️Get a wind pennant : 

• To get a feel of how close you are pointing to the wind - especially in light winds when it isn't always easy to feel the wind on your face. 
• To reinforce where the wind is and where the sail should be  .. are you sailing across the wind or directly downwind?
• To give you a clear indication you are on the edge of a gybe

See the link for a wind indicator that will fit your TIWAL mast.https://www.huntsmarine.com.au...


Try one of these exercises each time you go sailing:


⛵️How is your exit from the shore going to look?
- Examine the angles from shore and imagine how you are going to get upwind.
- You will need to be moving forward before you try to point upwind.
- Take into account the amount of space you will need to sail in a sideways direction across the wind.
- Allow for a little sideways slip as the boat gets to full speed. 
- Tack only when you get to full speed.  If you try and tack at half speed you will end up stuck into the wind or ‘in irons’ and sailing backwards. 


⛵️When you are on the water practice coming to a stop near a stationary boat or mark in the water. This is like a ‘man overboard' drill so it is great to practice anyway. 

• Sail a reaching angle across the wind towards the mark. 
• Give yourself enough time to ease the sail and slow the boat before turning upwind enough to slow the boat
• Turn the boat upwind only enough to flap the sail - ie not all the way into the wind so you lose steering and control. 
• The object of the exercise is achieved - coming to a stop where and when you want to. 

For a visual aid go to:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...


⛵️Practice sailing in circles talking to yourself as you turn -  I’m reaching, I'm bearing away,  I’m sailing downwind, I’m gybing, Im luffing up, I’m reaching, I’m sailing upwind, I’m tacking...  and so on! 




⛵️Coming ashore:
Practice stopping 20 metres out before you come ashore.
- Stop the boat by letting the sail go and turn slightly into the wind.
- Have a good look at the angle you want to come at the shore and imagine sailing that angle and how you will stop. 
Are you on the right gybe to turn the boat into the wind and stop?
Have you lifted your rudder up a little?
Will lifting the centreboard a little help you slip sideways to land in the spot you want to land?


I fail to do a perfect landing all the time, and but luckily that particular landing at Sorrento turned out to be just perfect (and the sailor following me just happened to be world famous. - a moment in time I wont forget!) 

Recreational sailing has just blown up beyond your sweetest dreams!
TIWAL Inflatable Sailing Dinghy. 
Bring your new sailling pal and potter around in bays, anchorages, and lakes. The ideal training yacht. 
Contact us at www.tiwal.nz and get the TIWAL delivered to your door in Australia, NZ and the South Pacific.