ISSUE 112: Rules of Thumb

My online dictionary defines rule of thumb as a ‘general guideline that is an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.’?It’s also a ‘rule or  principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior or action.’ 

In sailboat racing, we use rules of thumb all the time to help  us with tactics, strategy, boatspeed and many other things. These rules are also called tips, conventional wisdom, principles, good  advice or something that’s simply ‘tried and true.’ 

A rule of thumb is a guideline that, during many applications over a long period of time, has proven to work most of the time. It describes a course of action where there is a relatively high probability for a successful outcome.   

My favorite and most-used rule of thumb is to ‘sail the longer tack first’ (see pages 8-9). When you are sailing upwind (or downwind) and one tack (or jibe) is significantly longer than the other, it usually pays to get onto the longer tack. This doesn’t always work, but in my experience (and in the experience of many other sailors) it will give you the best outcome most of the time.

A sailing rule of thumb is most helpful when you are not totally certain about what to do. For example, if you are sailing up the first beat and you have no clue which way the wind will shift next, you can always get on the tack where your bow is pointed closer to the windward mark. There are many times like this when you’re not sure about your next step and you need a reliable guideline.

A rule of thumb is also helpful when you’re trying to minimize risk (which is key in sailboat racing). By definition, a rule of thumb is something that has proven to work over and over again, so it’s inherently low-risk. This entire issue is filled with rules of thumb that you can use whenever you are racing.  •