Why we haven’t been matching the factory polars for our new boat? I just can’t work it out! That’s something almost every new boat owner has asked themselves at some point.

Ever felt like your boat is sluggish? Or woken up for a watch offshore, thinking you were absolutely sending it, only to find your competition or nearby boats have left you in the dust?

The speed issue is real. For racers, going faster means a trophy. For cruisers, being able to sail quickly means shorter passages, less strain on your boat, and a happier crew. And for all sailors, going fast is fun!

So how to go faster? It’s easy to get sucked into the detail. You might pick up the North U Trim book and start thinking about car positions and draught shape. Maybe you’ve made a weight saving plan, involving luggage limits or even freeze-dried food and a watermaker. Or perhaps you’ve employed a shrewd weather router for your upcoming Atlantic crossing to help pick the optimum route across.

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These are all good ideas. But when thinking about speed, there is an order of priorities to consider. And it starts with sails. Not sail trim, sail shape, traveller position, twist or foot tension… but the sail itself.

This fundamental fact is so often missed: the greatest impact the everyday sailor can make for going faster is to fly the right sails for the conditions. And once you have that nailed then the question of how to go faster is answered more elaborately. Finesse and precision such as tiny adjustments to ballast position or steering cable tension can then make a significant difference to the speed. But only once the right sail is flying.

So the typical new boat owner is likely to be making some basic errors – the same ones I’ve made so many times myself! Mistakes like flying headsails for too long without changing down; not reefing readily enough; and dropping loose-luffed sails (spinnakers and Code 0s) too early.

But why? What stops sailors flying the right sails? One factor is the crew. Are they up for it? Do you have crew keen to heave a headsail up to the bow at 0300 in 15 knots of wind, brace themselves as the boat slops over the short, broken swell, hoist up the J2, haul down the J4, and – now soaking wet – flake it, bag it and put it away all for the sake of a few knots?

That takes a certain breed of crazy. And if the wind is blowing a consistent 20 knots can the crew handle it? Can the helm keep the boat from rounding up with a building quarterly swell? Can the trimmer stay focused and keep the kite full as the boat accelerates down each wave?

Dropping a loose-luffed sail too early is just one of the many reasons we might not be hitting polars.

Another factor is you. Are you brave enough? And, bluntly, are you wealthy enough? It’s easy for a sail crossover chart to tell you the S4 will be okay up to 30 knots of wind. But have you ever flown an S4 in 29 knots when you’re 1,000 miles from the shore? Because it’s not super relaxing. Aren’t you here to have a nice time? And the urge to drop it early increases if you’re worried about the cost of the repair. Going quickly increases the risk of something breaking.

There are so many reasons why you might drop the kite at night, why you might be hesitant to shake out the reef, or why you might not want to send your crew up to the bow for the sake of speed. So how do we all go faster? The answer: nail the manoeuvres.

The greatest impact the everyday sailor can have on speed is to set the boat up well for changing sails. Some ideas: extend the sock line of your cruising chute so that it can divert from the bow back to a winch so you can drop it with mechanical assistance. Set up martin breakers to ensure a reliable de-powering of your spinnaker at any time.

Consider a top-down furling asymmetric spinnaker to avoid the need for a sock or traditional drop altogether. Upgrade or lubricate the mast track slider or car system so the mainsail drops and hoists easily. Service the sheaves in the boom for the reefing lines. Consider a furling staysail as an easy ‘power-down’ solution to your upwind sail set up so you don’t have to go splashing around on the bow at night.

In other words, set your boat up as efficiently as possible so you can get sails up and down quickly and easily. Practise the manoeuvres and build confidence. Once you have this nailed, you’ll be more likely to fly the right canvas at the right time.

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