Top-spec autopilots have become very sophisticated, not least in the use of AI (artificial intelligence), so much so that modern autopilot systems on an IMOCA 60 won’t leave you much…
5 tips – Essential yacht racing skills
How to use the racing rules of sailing
When working as a rules adviser, Bill O’Hara’s job with his sailors is to make sure they understand the rules well enough to stay out of the protest room. But…
Expert sailing tips: pre-race strategy
Good race strategy is about doing as much pre-race homework as possible and getting that pre-race strategy right. As a young Australian growing up far from the sea in the…
Expert tips: How to win the start
Robert Scheidt always used to start out of the middle of the line. That was in the days when he was the stand-out talent in the Laser single-handed dinghy, winning…
5 expert tips for going fast while reaching
Years of short-course racing in small keelboats in fleet race and match race competitions had made Annie Lush very good at downwind VMG sailing. But when she started offshore racing,…
How the TP52 fleet uses America’s Cup tech
As the TP52 fleet sweeps around the bottom mark off Palma, eyes turn to the sky. This isn’t a predictable day’s racing in Mallorca. The 2021 Rolex TP52 World Championships…
5 Expert Tips: Offshore Preparation
What’s your goal for the season? Shirley Robertson apologises if her offshore preparation sounds ‘a bit Olympic sailorish’ but says defining your goal is key. “Whether you’re doing round-the-cans racing…
Upwind headsail trimming: Top tips from a pro
The challenge of headsail trimming, according to Stir Fry, is understanding at any given moment what the team is aiming to achieve. On a busy race course, those aims are…
5 expert sailing tips: Night helming
Chris Nicholson’s prowess in 18ft Skiffs and three World Championship titles in the early days of the 49er Olympic dinghy drew the attention of Grant Dalton when he recruited the…
How to keep calm under pressure
After sailing a brilliant qualifying series during the Tokyo Olympic Games earlier this summer, a moment of indecision put Anne-Marie Rindom’s grip on the gold medal in jeopardy. But the…
How to put together a winning crew
Despite only having come to offshore racing six years ago, Tom Kneen has proven a fast learner. He’s also done things his way, steadfastly holding to his preference to sail…
How to run the pit: Top tips from a pro sailor
Running the pit is more than pulling the right ropes at the right time, according to Tom Burnham. “The pitman is that communication and decision-making link between the front of…
How to sail in light winds and tide
The lighter the breeze, the more significant the effects of any current or tidal flow. Ben Saxton has raced every kind of boat, from foiling catamarans to planing dinghies to…
How to deal with problems at sea
Liz Wardley, by her own admission, hated school. “I was a very bad student, but if I can learn a skill that’s going to help me make the boat go…
Upwind in survival conditions: How to take on heavy weather
Stu Bannatyne has learned the hard way that sailing upwind in survival conditions changes your priorities. “A lot of the decisions are based around boat preservation, rather than outright speed.…
5 tips: avoiding a breakdown – so gear failure doesn’t let you down on the racecourse
It has been a tight race in a building breeze, but you’ve maintained the lead on this last beat and now just a loose cover on the boats behind should…
5 tips: how to deal with snagging weed and hooking pots on an offshore race
The sails look great and you’ve just spent money on having the keel faired and the bottom sprayed, but today the boat is off the pace, so what’s the issue?…
5 tips: finding clear air in a crowded racing fleet
For the leading boats clear air comes free, but for those locked in the middle of a competitive fleet this essential commodity is in short supply. Whether it was a…
5 tips: spinnaker drop – how to drop the kite without drama
The leeward drop and mark rounding was looking fine and you were about to nail a few more places, so how come just two minutes later you are looking at…
5 tips on developing your polar diagrams to improve your boat speed
Sails are fresh, the bottom is clean, there’s a good crew, but you’ve been losing out to similar boats on the downwind legs. The helmsman is sailing as close as…