Principles of sailing fast upwind
If you want to win more races, improving your speed upwind is one of the best things you can do. By going just a little faster through the water and/or pointing slightly higher, you will have much more success in holding a lane of clear air after the start and arriving at the windward mark in better shape. Here are some basic principles you can always follow to improve your boat’s performance upwind.
• Copy what the fast boats are doing. Your competitors are a great source of go-fast ideas, so keep an eye on them. Pay particular attention to boats that are going faster than you, and don’t be afraid to copy their set-up. For example, how are they trimming their sails and positioning their weight? You can learn a lot just by watching them on the race course; many sailors will also be willing to share ideas if you talk with them ashore.
• Use other boats to gauge your performance. In order to optimize your speed upwind, you must always know whether you are going fast or not. Your sense of feel and instruments (if you have them) are two ways to gauge how well your boat is going. However, these two sources mean nothing compared to the accurate feedback you can get by comparing your speed and height to nearby boats (see page 3 for more).
• Make reference marks to reproduce fast settings. Developing a fast boat is a long-term effort that happens step by step. Part of the process is being able to duplicate your rig tuning and sailtrim from day to day and week to week. What good is it if you’re fast one Sunday but slow a week later because you completely forgot how the boat was set up? Calibrate the key speed-related variables so you can repeat fast tuning and trimming combinations. When you’re “in the groove,” note the numbers and record these in a notebook for future reference (see pages 4-5 for much more).
• Try a “wider groove.” It’s not easy to go fast 100% of the time, but try to stay in the groove for as much of each leg as possible. One way to do this is by setting up your sails (e.g. by making them a little fuller and more draft-forward) so you have a wider groove. By doing this you’ll give up a little high-end performance, but you will also have fewer times when you stall out and go very slowly. You’ll be fast more of the time and improve your overall average speed (especially when you have waves or other conditions that make it hard to stay in the groove).
• Make changes methodically. When you are going fast relative to other boats, make sure you remember where everything is set. When you are going slow, change something. Start by adjusting the mainsheet, jib sheet or backstay (if you have one) since these controls have a relatively large effect on speed.
When you change trim, do it systematically. Alter one variable at a time, if possible, so you can identify whether this makes you faster or slower. View this as a long-term process of discovering all your fast components and combinations.
• Shift gears all the time. The wind and wave conditions change continually, so you must constantly adjust the trim of sails and hull in order to keep going fast. There’s almost nothing slower than leaving your sheets cleated and your crew stationary when you get a puff, lull or shift. Sailing is a lot like driving a car – you can’t just stick it in fourth gear and go up and down hills. You have to work the boat continuously by shifting gears.
• Concentrate and work hard. Above all else, speed comes from an attitude and a desire to go fast. Focus on getting your boat in the groove and keeping it there. This may require hard work, but it will
improve your upwind speed! •
If you want to win more races, improving your speed upwind is one of the best things you can do. By going just a little faster through the water and/or pointing slightly higher, you will have much more success in holding a lane of clear air after the start and arriving at the windward mark in better shape. Here are some basic principles you can always follow to improve your boat’s performance upwind.
• Copy what the fast boats are doing. Your competitors are a great source of go-fast ideas, so keep an eye on them. Pay particular attention to boats that are going faster than you, and don’t be afraid to copy their set-up. For example, how are they trimming their sails and positioning their weight? You can learn a lot just by watching them on the race course; many sailors will also be willing to share ideas if you talk with them ashore.
• Use other boats to gauge your performance. In order to optimize your speed upwind, you must always know whether you are going fast or not. Your sense of feel and instruments (if you have them) are two ways to gauge how well your boat is going. However, these two sources mean nothing compared to the accurate feedback you can get by comparing your speed and height to nearby boats (see page 3 for more).
• Make reference marks to reproduce fast settings. Developing a fast boat is a long-term effort that happens step by step. Part of the process is being able to duplicate your rig tuning and sailtrim from day to day and week to week. What good is it if you’re fast one Sunday but slow a week later because you completely forgot how the boat was set up? Calibrate the key speed-related variables so you can repeat fast tuning and trimming combinations. When you’re “in the groove,” note the numbers and record these in a notebook for future reference (see pages 4-5 for much more).
• Try a “wider groove.” It’s not easy to go fast 100% of the time, but try to stay in the groove for as much of each leg as possible. One way to do this is by setting up your sails (e.g. by making them a little fuller and more draft-forward) so you have a wider groove. By doing this you’ll give up a little high-end performance, but you will also have fewer times when you stall out and go very slowly. You’ll be fast more of the time and improve your overall average speed (especially when you have waves or other conditions that make it hard to stay in the groove).
• Make changes methodically. When you are going fast relative to other boats, make sure you remember where everything is set. When you are going slow, change something. Start by adjusting the mainsheet, jib sheet or backstay (if you have one) since these controls have a relatively large effect on speed.
When you change trim, do it systematically. Alter one variable at a time, if possible, so you can identify whether this makes you faster or slower. View this as a long-term process of discovering all your fast components and combinations.
• Shift gears all the time. The wind and wave conditions change continually, so you must constantly adjust the trim of sails and hull in order to keep going fast. There’s almost nothing slower than leaving your sheets cleated and your crew stationary when you get a puff, lull or shift. Sailing is a lot like driving a car – you can’t just stick it in fourth gear and go up and down hills. You have to work the boat continuously by shifting gears.
• Concentrate and work hard. Above all else, speed comes from an attitude and a desire to go fast. Focus on getting your boat in the groove and keeping it there. This may require hard work, but it will
improve your upwind speed! •
