Points Of Sailing
Book Extract
Look at the diagram on the opposite page. There are three points of sailing:
- Reaching – the boat sails across the wind
- Beating – the boat sails as close as it can towards the wind
- Running – the boat sails with the windbehind it
REACHING
When reaching, the boat sails at right angles to the wind, which is blowing from behind your back if you are sitting on the windward side. The sail should be about halfway out and the centreboard up about 20-30cm.
BEATING
If you want to change course towards the wind, you must push the tiller away from you, put the centreboard down and pull in the sail as you make the turn from a reach. You can go on turning towards the wind until the sail is pulled right in, but not flapping. You are now as close to the wind as you can sail: you are beating.
If you try to turn further towards the wind you enter the ‘no-go zone’. The sail flaps and the boat stops.
If you want to get to a point that is upwind of your current position you have to beat in a zigzag fashion, as shown in the diagram.
At the end of each ‘zig’ the boat turns through an angle of 90⁰. This is called a tack. The boat turns ‘through’ the wind – the sail blows across to the other side of the boat and the helmsman must shift their weight across the boat to balance it.
ILCA beating into the wind
RUNNING
From a reach, you may want to change course away from the wind. Pull up the centreboard (not more than 30cm up) and let out the sail as you turn. You can go on turning until the wind is coming from behind the boat. Then you are running.
If you turn further, the boat will eventually gybe. The wind blows from the other side of the boat, the sail will cross over and you must move your weight across to balance the wind pressure.
