Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 4
In Chapter 4 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about upwind boat handling. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.
Tacking (turning the bow of the boat into the wind to make way upwind) is one of the most important aspects of sailing upwind. Every tack is an opportunity for a boat to lose speed. So, it’s really important for tacks to be smooth and efficient.
Different crew members serve different roles throughout a tack. The tactician needs to look for smooth water to tack in (so it’s less disruptive to the boat’s motion), or take advantage of the waves to help push the bow of the boat through the tack. The driver needs to alert the crew so that all crew moves can be well coordinated with boat movement. The driver needs to turn faster to maintain momentum needed to tack in waves. However, the driver’s turning speed needs to match the trimmers so that the sails can be mostly trimmed in before the boat is through the turn. If not, the jib trimmer(s) will be grinding forever on the winches. Please note (in the words of this jib trimmer) that is not fast in a race — it’s just an easy way to wear out the trimmers. As a general rule, the jib should be released when it is backed half way across the foredeck. 
Crew members should stay on the rail or in their positions until the absolute moment it is time to move. Keep the boat going fast, execute the tack, and get it going fast again. Don’t finish fine tuning the jib trim until the boat has completed the tack and come back up to speed.
Roll tacks can be used to tack a boat in light wind. This uses crew weight to help steer the boat through the tack. The steps of a roll tack include — heeling the boat to leeward to start the boat turning, move the weight to windward and throw the sails across the boat. The following video has some tips about tacking small boats, but the general tips can be applied to larger boats too.
Roll Tack — remember, if the wind is light, you may be in a different location on the boat than you are used to if the wind is heavier. Don’t get confused.
When the boat is sailing toward the mark, crew members can be calling wind and waves or reporting information about position of other boats while hiking on the rail.
Ducking is a way to pass behind a boat or come along side them in order to avoid a collision. For more information, check out the pictures from Ch. 4, or stay tuned for a later post that will go into more detail.
Sails and lines should be flaked and ready to go at any moment. Winches should also be loaded with the desired number of wraps. Overrides can be avoided by grinding continuously as soon as there may be slack in the sheet that’s on the winch.
This is the fourth in a series of posts based on Bill Gladstone’s book Racing TRIM from the North U. Series. Periodically, I post about a chapter or two. This will be my short summary of what I’ve read. You can read the posts to get my abbreviated summary; or you could read through the books with me. Your comments can help point out what you find most interesting, or even poke fun at what I do and don’t know. If you are interested in getting this book, you can find it in the online store section of NorthU.com for $25.
