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Archive for the ‘Dinghies’ Category

Introduction
Once you have mastered the art then it is natural that you will want to progress further afield. However, it is essential that you prepare properly and ensure that your craft is upto the proposed trip. If you are undertaking a day sail one of the first things that you should consider is taking along adequate clothing. We have already seen in the beginner section the type of safety equipment and clothing that may be required. However for the purposes of a day sail when you are likely to be away from your launch point you should ensure that adequate clothing is taken, particularly if the weather deteriorates.

Wet weather gear
Wet weather gear – jacket, trousers, or one-piece suit. Wetsuit if necessary. Gloves, hat and appropriate footwear.

Dry clothing
Dry clothing to change into if necessary & towel, preferably stored in a waterproof bag. These are just examples, there is no set standard list of what to take but you should always cater for the unexpected…..typically bad weather or a capsize as you wont want to spend all of your trip soaked through!

Equipment
We have already covered the basic equipment that should be carried aboard. A useful item of kit to have onboard is a knife, preferable one of the multi-purpose types that contains a wealth of useful little items such as pliers, blades and screwdrivers. Alternative one of the boson knifes that has a marlin spike on it which is useful for untying ropes. These ideally should be kept clipped to your buoyancy aid as they are often needed in a hurry and therefore need to be found easily.

Righting an Inverted Dinghy
Occasionally it is possible that your dinghy may capsize and be inverted, also know as “turned turtle”. A dinghy normally inverts after it has rested for a while on its side (see stage 1) and without any pressure on the centreboard the weight of the rigging and sails forces it right over. When a boat is inverted there is ample space to swim underneath and free off sheets or adjust the centreboard; you will find an air pocket trapped by the hull. If you are inside the upturned hull then the centreboard casing provides a convenient space to talk through if you are in a two-man dinghy and you need to talk to your sailing partner.

Inversion
This is a situation that is easy to get out of. Once the boat has settled both helm and crew will meet at the stern of the boat and check that they are both alright. They then need to check that the centreboard is “down” i.e. protruding from the hull so that pressure can be applied once the boat starts to come upright. If the centreboard or daggerboard has slipped into its casing the crew can swim under the boat and push it out, as mentioned there will be an air pocket inside the upturned hull. As the crew is swimming under the boat the helm can swim around and catch the centreboard as the crew swings it out. Once the centreboard is down the crew can swim out from under the boat and join the helm on the windward side of the upturned hull. The helm climbs onto the gunwhale and grabs hold of the centreboard. The crew can go behind the helm and apply weight to the side of the hull. The boat will start to come upright and once lying on its side the manoeuvre is the same as that detailed in the stage 1 section. In a single handed dinghy the method is the same except that there is no crew involvement. If you are sailing in a catamaran the weight must be applied to the rear hull quarter that is in the water. This will spin the hull round and it will pop upright.

Basic Rules
Basic rules – these have been touched upon in their context in various parts of this section and are summed up here again. These are the basic rules that you need to know once you start sailing:

Port/Starboard
A starboard tack boat has right of way over a boat sailing on port tack. You can tell if you are on starboard because the wind will be blowing over the right hand side of the boat (starboard is right, port is left – this can be remembered by the saying “there is no PORT LEFT in the bottle”, or that both PORT and LEFT have 4 letters in them) The diagram below illustrates this rule.

Windward Boat
Windward boat must keep clear. This means that the boat that is sailing closer to where the wind is blowing from must keep clear of the boat to leeward. The diagram below illustrates this. In terms of racing this gives the opportunity for the leeward boat to head up as far as possible and force the windward boat to head up also. This is know as luffing, however, you cannot luff a boat past head to wind, thus forcing them to tack. Similarly, if you have to boats heading towards each other on the same tack, then it is the windward one that must keep clear.

Overtaking Boat
Overtaking boat must keep clear. Fairly self explanatory, but a boat that is overtaking must give way to the boat that it is overtaking. Bear in mind when you are overtaking that once you become the windward boat you must keep clear of the leeward boat. However, presumably you will be travelling faster and therefore it is advisable to stay on the windward side so that you avoid the “wind shadow” of the boat you are overtaking. You should have enough speed to pull of the overtake before you can get luffed too high.

If in doubt
If in doubt – tack! Avoid collisions at all costs – even if you believe that you are in the right, then it is better to avoid a collision.

No Go Zone
No go zone – You cannot sail directly into the wind as you may well have noticed; the sails flap and provide no driving force when a boat is facing directly into the wind. This is known as the “no-go zone” and the diagram below shows the “no-go zone” and it is typically about 45° either side of where the wind is blowing from. When you are sailing along this 45° line then, as per the “points of sailing” you are close hauled and cannot point any higher or, in other words, sail any closer to the wind.

Points of sailing
There are certain terms for every angle that you sail relative to the wind, illustrated on the diagram above. These terms are the same whether you are on port or starboard tack. Used in conjunction with the 5 essentials you should sail to maximum efficiency.

Close hauled – This is when you are sailing directly along the edge of the no go zone. The centreboard should be fully down, and the sails as tight in as possible. There will also be the most heeling effect on this point of sailing and thus you will need to hike out (leaning out with your feet under the toestraps) in order to counteract this.

Close Reach – this is sailing at about 60° to the wind, and generally the sails should be eased just a fraction, the centreboard up a little way, and both helm and crew counteracting the heel of the boat. This is an upwind point of sailing, and is the point of sailing referred to in the MOB manoeuvre.

Beam Reach – this is sailing at 90° to the wind, and is most often the fastest point of sailing. Sailing across the wind means that your sails should be set at half way, and the centreboard should be half up. Again, you may get a bit of heeling on this point of sailing and therefore you will need to keep the boat flat.

Broad reach –this is sailing at 135° to the wind and you have now moved into the downwind points of sailing. Hence, the sails should be almost all the way out, centreboard about three quarters up, and the crew weight moved aft (think trim) and the boat kept as flat as possible. Normally the crew will be in the centre of the boat and the helm sat on the sidedecks.
Run (dead run) – the dead run is when the wind is blowing directly over the stern on the boat, i.e. you are sailing directly downwind. Whilst learning it is advisable to go onto the training run, which is typically about 10° off the dead run. This reduces the risk of inadvertently gybing. Sailing on this point of sailing means that the sails should be all the way out (but avoid contact with the shrouds) and the centreboard almost all the way up, except for a small bit to help stability.

Basic Aerodynamic Theory
Basic aerodynamic theory – for stage 1, it is necessary to understand only the basic theory of aerodynamics. A sail acts in very much the same way as an aeroplane wing, the effect of wind passing over it generates lift, which is the driving force. This is the reason why the sail should be set at the correct angle to the wind – in order to generate the maximum amount of lift. The diagram below shows the effect of drag and lift on the sail. It is the lift which provides the force to drive the boat, and it is the drag which tries to heel the boat over. The effect of the drag varies dependant on the heading of the boat, generally drag pushes the boat away from the wind. The effect of drag is counteracted by the centreboard, with drag at its maximum when beating hence the need to have the centreboard fully down. Therefore, by leaning out (hiking) you are counteracting this drag effect to provide maximum lift and hence speed.

Buoyage
For this stage of your sailing the only buoyage that you need to know about are: Cardinal marks Channel/lateral marks Isolated danger, safe water and special marks All buoyage is maintained by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and applies to both fixed and floating buoyage. Used in conjunction with a chart, the buoyage information is intended primarily for larger ships and considering that you are in a dinghy you may be safer outside the channels and away from shipping. The chart will be able to provide more information such as any dangers that the buoys represent or particular channels that they relate to. With regard to channel/lateral marks, these refer to dredged channels and therefore there will be navigable water at all states of the tide. There are two buoyage systems, A and B; IALA System “A” is prescribed for Europe, Africa, and Asia. Green buoys mark the starboard side of a channel in the “A” system. IALA System “B” – This system is prescribed for North, Central, and South America, Korea, and the Philippines. Green buoys mark the port side of the channel in system “B”. This system is the system used in the United States. The diagrams below are from http://www.tnqit.qld.edu.au/tmt/iala.htm, all copyrights acknowledged.

Channel Markers
Following on and connected to buoyage above are channel markers which are red and green buoys that mark out channels. Channels are used for larger vessels which are constrained by their draft. When your dinghy sailing please be aware of vessels that are confined to these channels as their ability to manoeuvre will be limited. The picture below shows a few of the different type of buoy that can be seen when out on the water. At night they are accompanied by lights flashing in particular sequences. To see the sequences for a specific buoy then this is noted on the charts for the area you are in. They are differentiated by flashing at different intervals.

Wind Awareness
In order to sail anywhere you will need to appreciate where the wind is coming from. There are several ways of doing this depending on where you are. If you are sailing inland or close to the shore then you can use land based items to tell. Smoke from chimneys, flags, and burgees at the top of other boats mast are all useful indicators. Perhaps easier, and if you are a distance from land then you can feel the wind on your face. Also you can point your boat into the wind so the boom is on the centreline of the boat.

Effect of heel & sails
Firstly, sails. When lying across the wind (reaching position) with the sails flapping, and you pull in the main, the boat will head up into the wind. If you pull in the jib, then the boat will turn away from the wind. This is important to remember when you are trying to sail as effectively as possible – i.e. get the two sails to compliment each other. Secondly, heel. When the boat is “heeled” away from the wind it will try and head up (hence when overpowered a boat will come up into the wind) If the boat is heeled towards the wind, then it will bear away. Also worth mentioning here is that the centreboard prevents the boat slipping across the water (leeway), i.e. if you remove the centreboard the boat will skid across the water. Thus it is possible using these three elements to sail a boat without a rudder. Using a combination of sail trim, heel and centreboard you can manoeuvre adequately, and even slide the boat sideways into an area!

Reaching
This is sailing across the wind, i.e. the wind is coming from a 90° to the boat. As per the five essentials the sail will be about half way (both main and jib if applicable) and the centreboard also half way up. Reaching is typically the fastest point of sailing and is also the easiest to learn from as it offers the most flexibility. You can head up a long way before a tack, and also bear away a long way before a gybe happens; thus you can get a good feel of handling the boat. Dinghies sail fastest when they are flat and thus you balance the heel of the boat by “leaning out” typically hooking you feet under the toestraps. By shifting your weight in and out of the boat you can keep it flat.

Stopping
The sails drive the boat and therefore if you remove this force then the boat will stop. This is the most basic method of stopping – let the sail out and the boat will drift to a stop. If necessary you may need to steer into the wind a bit more as the standing rigging may prevent the sail from going all the way out. It is also possible to stop dead by heading into the wind and then pushing the boom out so the main acts like a giant brake.

Tacking
This is when the front of the boat passes through the wind and allows you to change direction, by turning through, typically, 90°. Tacking is the mainstay of beating upwind (zigzagging towards where the wind is blowing from). Once you have mastered tacking you have the ability to sail to a point turn around and return. There are two methods of tacking, one for centre mainsheet boats and one for aft-mainsheet boats. During the learning of this manoeuvre you may become stuck head to wind (in irons). This is where the boat is facing directly into the wind and the sails are flapping and as the boat is not moving, the rudder has no effect (needs water flowing past it to work). To get out of irons you need to push the boom out and push the tiller away from you and then wait for the boat to swing round and maybe sail backwards. Once moving you then pull the boom towards you and pull the tiller towards you and then sail as per usual.

Centre mainsheet boat – put your back foot forward and then slowly push the tiller away from you, as the boat starts to turn move into the centre of the boat pivoting on your back foot. As the boom crosses the centreline, you should also be in the centre of the boat, duck under the boom and then continue to pivot so you are facing the opposite direction, centre the tiller and then sit down. You should now have turned through the wind and be sailing in the different direction. You only need relatively small movements of the tiller to initiate the turn, the harder you push the tiller, the faster the turn. You can secure the mainsheet during the tack by using the same hand that is on the tiller and taking hold of the mainsheet. As you pivot round you need to swap your hands over so that when you sit back down again your back hand is steering and the front hand is controlling the sails. In a two man dinghy, it is necessary to tell the crew when you are going to tack. This is done using the following sequence of words; Helm says “Ready About”, crew releases the jib from the cleat, gets ready and says “ready”, helm then initiates tack by saying “lee-ho” as they push the tiller away from them. Both helm and crew move across the boat as above, with the helm and crew setting their sails for the new point of sailing. It is important for the crew to be ready before the tack commences. Communication between helm and crew is vital for successful tacking.

Aft-mainsheet boat – in an aft mainsheet boat the tack is slightly different though the sequence of words as above remains the same. At the start of the tack the helms front foot is put forward to pivot on, and says “ready about”, crew prepares and says “ready”. The helm then says “lee-ho” and pushes the tiller away from them while moving into the centre of the boat. By pivoting on the front foot you should be facing towards the back of the boat. Duck under the boom and then continue pivoting and sit down, having centred the tiller. To secure the mainsheet while tacking and free up one of your hands you can clamp the mainsheet under your thumb on the tiller hand. As above you need to swap your hands over during the tack so that the front hand is steering and the backhand is controlling the mainsheet. It is possible to sail the boat with your hands behind your back if you prefer to swap your hands over after you have sat back down.

Getting out of Irons
You may become stuck head to wind (in irons) at some point. This is where the boat is facing directly into the wind and the sails are flapping and as the boat is not moving, the rudder has no effect (needs water flowing past it to work). To get out of irons you need to push the boom out and push the tiller away from you and then wait for the boat to swing round and maybe sail backwards. Once moving you then pull the boom towards you and pull the tiller towards you and then sail as per usual.

Sailing upwind
As discussed in the “theory” section it is not possible to sail directly into the wind, and therefore if you need to get to point that is upwind of where you currently are you need to sail upwind. This is down by zigzagging (known as beating) – that is sailing close hauled and then tacking and sailing close hauled on the new tack. Sailing close hauled means that your sailing right along the edge of the no-go zone, and typically your sails should be as far in as possible and the centreboard right down. There will be a lot of heeling effect on your boat which needs to balanced out by leaning out, hooking your feet under the toe straps.

To tell when you are sailing close hauled you can slowly, with a very small movement, push the tiller away from you, when the leading edges of the sails (the luff) starts to flap or collapse then you need to bear away (pull the tiller towards you) a bit until they fill again (stop flapping). Once they have filled then you are close hauled. During the sail upwind you can keep checking that you are as close hauled as possible by repeating this manoeuvre. As per the five essentials, when sailing upwind you need to position your weight forward in the boat. This “digs” the bow of the boat into the water and aids in the reduction of leeway.

Sailing Downwind
Once you have successfully sailed upwind you will need to come back again, hence the need to know how to sail downwind. Sailing downwind is often one of the easier point of sailing as the boat remains fairly flat and quiet. Again, the principle of keeping the boat flat remains important and as such your weight should be positioned inside the boat. With regard to “trim” your weight should be further back in the boat which reduces the “wetted surface area” thus reducing drag, and helps the boat slide over the water.

Sail setting for downwind sailing is to have all the sails right out, but not resting on the shrouds (if applicable) There are two types of downwind sailing – dead down wind, which is when the wind is blowing directly over the stern of the boat; and the training run, when the wind is blowing over the aft quarter of the boat. The training run is typically 5° off the dead run, and reduces the risk of inadvertently gybing.

The Five Essentials
There are five key points to remember when sailing to enable you to sail to maximum efficiency. These are:

• Sail setting
• Centreboard
• Boat Balance
• Boat Trim
• Course Steered

These have been touched upon and mentioned in their various contexts throughout this site. However they are summed up here in their own section.

Sail setting – The sails develop maximum power when they are set at the correct angle to the wind. It is easy to see if a sail is undersheeted, i.e. too far out, because it flaps, so the golden rule is “if in doubt, let it out”. As per the point of sailing diagram, sails should generally be set as follows:

Close Hauled – sails right in tight

Reaching – sails set about half way

Run – sails all the way out. If the boom or sails are touching the shrouds just sheet in a bit so there is no contact, in order to reduce wear on the boom/sails and stress on the rigging.

As you can see, the further you move away from the wind, the further the sails get let out.

Centreboard – to maximise efficiency the centreboard must be adjusted for the different points of sailing. When close hauled it should be fully down to reduce leeway. When on a run, it should be fully retracted to reduce drag unless a small amount in needed for stability. When on a reach it should be half way. Again, it follows a similar principle to sail setting – the further you move away from the wind, the higher the centreboard should be.

Boat Balance – A boat sails most efficiently and effectively when it is flat and upright! A boat which is heeling will be difficult to steer as it will turn the opposite way to the side it is leaning towards, (the effect of heeling). Therefore, when sailing always try to keep your boat as flat as possible.

Boat Trim – Fore and aft balance or “trim” effects the shape and area of the hull in contact with the water. The less boat in contact with the water means less drag which means more speed. Trim is altered by moving your weight forwards or backwards in the boat. A boat should be trimmed towards the wind, that is, when sailing upwind you should sit further forward, when sailing downwind, you should move your weight further aft.

Course steered – this means sailing your boat to the correct point to the best of your ability, i.e. if you are trying to get from A to B you do not go via C. By using all the boats controls properly and considering the 5 essentials at all times, means that you will sail effectively.

Man Overboard Recovery
Though something that may never be needed it is necessary to know how to pick up something from the water, usually a person that has fallen out (it does happen!) In order to easily collect the person (we will assume it is a person) there is a set routine that is followed that allows you to easily collect them whilst remaining in full control.

The diagram below shows the route that is taken from the moment the person goes overboard, to the moment that they are collected again. For the purposes of this explanation, we will assume that you are in a two-man dinghy. At the moment the person falls over board, the helm must take control of the situation.

Firstly, release the jib. This allows the boat to be sailed under the main alone and gives the helm full control. Immediately after releasing the jib, the helm should sail onto a BEAM REACH (sailing across the wind), again this point of sailing offers the most control for the helm.

After about 10 or 12 boat lengths, the boat should be tracked through about 240°, thus crossing over the wake of the boat. You should now be sailing on a BROAD REACH.

When you are about three boat lengths downwind of your original beam reach track, then you need to start heading up, by pushing the tiller away from you, and sheeting in the main slightly.

You will now be aiming for the person in the water, sailing on a close reach, not close hauled, not a beam reach. Close reaching means that you have the ability to head up and bear away as necessary.

You are aiming to stop the boat in the water with the person next to the windward shrouds of your boat.

By having them on the windward side the wind will blow the boom and main out of your way, giving you room to pull them into the boat. Be careful not to tack on top of the person in the water, by keeping the boat on a close reach when you stop.

Constantly easing and tightening the main sheet, and thus giving you maximum control at all stages, controls the speed of the whole manoeuvre.

D-Shackles
Used for attaching halyard controls and sails. Screw or captive pins keep them in place

Twisted D Shackle
Used where the fitting to be attached needs to be aligned with the shackle pin. Normally used with non-swiveling blocks.

Piston Release Snap Shackle
These bronze or stainless steel shackles are for spinnaker work

Cleats
The horn cleat is the traditional fitting for securing rope, which is wound in a figure of eight or clove hitches.

Clam Cleat
The clam cleat or crab’s claw is used where a sheet or control line is always led off in the same direction. The rope can be pulled in easily but cant return because the jaws close tightly under tension.

Bow Shackles
Used for attaching ropes to equipment

Cam Cleat
This simple cleat has no moving parts. It’s inward slanting grooves ensure that a rope under tension forces itself into the cleat, making the grip even tighter

Fairleads
This is a channel for guiding a rope in a required direction.

Boat Parts

Introduction
Sailing is perceived as a very technical sport, with the use of a whole different language. The reason for this is to prevent confusion – by naming each item with a distinctive name, instructions can be communicated clearly. The rig – The mast is normally left standing and is supported by the shrouds, normally made of wire. The wires are connected to the boat with bottlescrews, in turn connected to chainplates. If rope is used instead of bottlescrews they are called lanyards. This is called standing rigging.

The parts of the sail
Most sails are triangular, with all areas named. The top of the sail is the ‘head’, while the bottom corner closest to the mast is the ‘tack’. The corner at the opposite end (along the ‘foot’ of the sail) is the ‘clew’. The front part of the sail that is next to the mast is the ‘luff’, while the edge at the back of the sail is the ‘leech’. Sails are properly cut to shape for the particular boat to create the right shape, though the shape can be fine tuned with controls found on the boat. More of this later. Sails are the driving force for a dinghy and therefore must be setup correctly and at the correct angle to the wind. Sails are raised by halyards and controlled by sheets. The shape is adjusted by ropes such as outhauls and the kicking strap. This is the running rigging. The kicker, or kicking strap, prevents the sail twisting and the boom lifting when wind is in the sail, thus maintaining the correct shape. Know why its called a boom? Its the noise it makes if it hits your head! For singlehanders, the sail is normally sleeved onto the mast, which is inserted into a hole on the deck and left free standing.

Wind Awareness
The best method of detecting the wind is to feel it on your face, or alternatively have a look at something on land nearby such as a flag, trees, smoke (provided you are near land). There is a scale from 0 to 10 called the Beaufort scale, where 0 is no wind and 10 is a hurricane – more of this later. When sailing, you want to keep the sails square on (90 degrees ideally) to the wind. Adjusting the sheets changes the angle of the sail.

Reefing
In some circumstances, particularly when the wind strengthens it may become necessary to reduce the amount of sail that you are using. This reduction is known as reefing. In single handed dinghies, such as a topper, then you reduce the size of the sail by rolling it around the mast and lengthening the outhaul. The remaining sail controls are adjusted in the normal fashion. In a two man dinghy such as a Wayfarer, it is normally the mainsail that is reduced. This is done by wrapping it around the boom. Firstly, you detach the kicker. To ensure you can reattach it (the normal fastening point will be covered by sail) you need to include a kicker reefing strop while you wrap the sail up, this is typically rope, tied to the kicker fastening point on the boom, with a bowline in the end. The kicker is then attached to the bowline. Then you put a tuck in the sail. If you do not take a tuck then the boom will droop as per the diagram above. To put in the tuck, take hold of the leech of the sail, about a foot from the boom, and fold this down, then wrap the sail around the boom until you reach the required reefing points. Typically there are two reefing points. Use the reefing lines to tie and tidy the sail. This is known as roller reefing. The alternatives are slap reefing or point reefing. These are particularly identical and involve putting the reef in and then tiding up the sail that is loose. To put in a slab reef, you pull down the front reefing line (tack pennant) and secure it, then do the same with the rear reefing line (clew pennant) and secure it. The loose sail is then rolled and secured. Reefing can be done ashore and afloat. If afloat then it is recommended to go hove-to and take the main down completely. Some dinghies may need you to reduce jib as well, or remove it when reefing so the rig is balanced.

Foils
Foils refer to the underwater appendages, namely the centre/dagger board and the rudder. The difference between a centreboard and a daggerboard is this: the centreboard pivots around a point in a case, i.e. Wayfarer, 420; whereas a dagger board is removable and tends to slide straight up and down, i.e. Laser, Topper. The rudder controls direction – pull it towards you to bear away (move away) from the wind direction; push it away from you to turn towards the wind (head up or luff). The rudder is the whole assembly – the blade is the bit in the water, the tiller is attached to the blade, and the tiller extension is the bit you hold. In an aft mainsheet boat such as a Wayfarer, you hold the mainsheet and the tiller extension in a ‘frying pan’ grip, whereas in a centre mainsheet boat you hold it in the ‘dagger’ grip, with the tiller extension across your chest.

Introduction
Perhaps you are learning to sail with the ultimate aim of racing. Dinghy racing is a fast and exhilarating activity and the majority of sailing clubs have active racing programs. However, in order to participate you need to know the basics!

Clubs and Classes
Once you have joined a club then you are welcome to use your boat to race with them, alternatively you may be able to crew for someone at the club. Clubs set the courses according to the weather conditions and will either use movable, inflatable marks or fixed, permanent buoys. The sailing instructions will detail the racing procedures, the course and the start timings.

Rules
For starting out in racing the main rules that you need to know are those that we have already discussed. Provided you bear these in mind and abide by them you will be able to hold your own on the race course.

Starting
Traditionally the start line will be between a committee boat and a buoy. The starting procedure will take the form of a timed countdown. A warning signal is given 10 minutes before the start, with a preparatory signal at a later stage, either 6 minutes or 5 minutes. All timings are given both visually and audibly. It is best to use the countdown facility on your stopwatch and to syncronise this with the committee boat timings. You are aiming to cross the start line at full speed as the start gun goes. If you are over the line before the start you be recalled and required to start again. If lots of boats are over the line there will be a general recall and the whole fleet has to start again, with a new countdown.

Mark rounding
The rule here is – wide in, narrow out. By going wide into a mark you will be able to exit as close to the mark as possible and therefore other boats will not be able to squeeze inside you and gain the inside advantage. However, when rounding marks bear in mind that the windward boat must keep clear of those to leeward. There is also an overlap rule, whereby, if a boat that is following you has an overlap, i.e. the bow of their boat is in front of your transom at two boat length from the mark, then they can call ‘water at the mark’ and you are required to give them room to round the mark. If you disagree and don’t think they have an overlap then you can say ‘no water’ and not give them room though this can lead to arguments. Use your discretion.

Protests
At this stage all you need to really know about protesting is that they are an on-land based adjudication panel whose decision is final. They will hear both sides of an argument where two parties have disagreed and make a decision.

Handicaps
Obviously all boats perform differently and as such some are faster than others round a race course. In order to balance things up clubs introduce handicapping, whereby different boats are either started at different times, or alternatively have a time ‘penalty’ added to their finish time. The actually specifics of this will be in your race instructions issued by the club. This primarily applies in mixed fleets, and yacht racing. If you are racing in a one design class, i.e. all the boats racing are the same, e.g. Lasers, then they all start at the same time and the first one to cross the finish line wins!

Sources of information
there are a whole host of places to get information and weather forecasts from, namely, radio (Shipping forecasts, news and weather bulletins), TV, internet, marine call/fax, sailing club, marina office or coastguard. They are all valuable sources and generally provide an up-to-date picture. However, the other alternative for an up to the minute forecast is to look at where you are – you can see if it is windy, raining, still, sunny, etc! However, this is not a forecast and you cannot tell what the weather will do over the forthcoming hours.

Winds
When you are starting out in dinghy sailing the weather that you most need to be aware of is wind strength. Generally for learning, the ideal conditions are force 3 or below. If the wind is stronger than this you can either put a reef in or postpone your sail. As you have probably seen from the launching and recovery section, the wind can blow onshore or offshore. Onshore poses the least amount of risk as if you get into trouble you will be blown back onto shore. Offshore winds are the wind blowing off the shore, characterised normally by a patch of flat or calm water just off the shore. It is not until you get further out (out of the lee of the land) that the true weather pattern emerges (typically stronger winds). Therefore it pays to be aware of the wind before you venture out to sea. The diagrams below show onshore and offshore winds. These winds are caused by the sun’s energy heating up the earths surface which then heats up the air above it. These winds are only found at the coast because land heats-up and cools-down differently to water. The air above is heated by different amounts and, as is shown below, this is what causes the winds. Onshore (Sea Breeze) – the sea breeze occurs at about lunch time on sunny days. By this time, the sun is at its strongest and has been shining for several hours (if we’re lucky!) and has been heating the earths surface. The land warms up more quickly than the sea and the air above it rises. Air above the cooler sea rushes in to fill the space and it is this air movement which makes up the Sea Breeze. Offshore (Land Breeze) – the land breeze is the opposite to a sea breeze. It occurs at night after a hot day. The land cools down more quickly than the sea meaning that the air above the sea is rising more than air over the land. Air from the land rushes in to take its place forming the land breeze.

Introduction
Probably one of the most important areas is being able to launch from and return to land!! The method used depends on the wind and the type of shore you are launching or landing on. The list below covers pretty much all situations in one way or another, I hope! When launching and coming ashore remember to be aware of: other water users wind tide escape route – always have in mind an escape route incase things don’t go according to plan – i.e. make sure you have an exit in case you need to abort and try again. Better to give it several goes and get it right than do it wrong the first time and end up damaging your boat or your pride!

Offshore wind
Launching
In this situation as per the diagram the sails can be hoisted on land and the boat then launched. Alternatively the boat can be in the water heading into wind/towards the shore, and while the crew holds the bow the helm can raise the sails. Once the boat is ready then the crew gets in having given the boat a push backwards, let it drift until the centreboard can be got down partially, then tack/bear away and sail away from the shore. Ideally get the rudder and centreboard down as soon as possible. TIP: When the boat is head to wind, it is possible to back the jib and blow the front of the boat round. When the jib is backed keep the tiller straight – you will see the bow swing round, when not directly into wind release jib, pull in main and sail away. Recovery

Recovery
Again, we will assume that this is a beach we are approaching. The wind is blowing directly off the shore so you will be beating upwind to approach. However, as in the above example, it will get shallower as you approach so remember to gradually raise the foils. In order to compensate for the ‘lack of centreboard’, you can move the weight in the boat as far forward as possible to use the V of the bow as sideways resistance. So, beating upwind, lots of tacking as you make your way to your predetermined point. You do NOT need to take sails down to land on a windward shore. Again, as soon as it is shallow enough to stand comfortably then the crew jumps out and holds the bow, helm gets out and then pull the boat up the beach. Then you can take down the sails and tidy up. In a singlehander then the helm jumps out as soon as it is shallow enough and pulls the boat up the beach.

Onshore wind
Launching
Launching from a lee shore presents a new challenge but is easy to overcome, provided you know what to do! The easiest method is to hoist the sails with the bow into the wind and then sail off. Assuming you have the basic safety kit onboard then you can either:

paddle into deeper water
kedge into deeper water – this is throwing the anchor (make sure its tied on) forwards of the boat and then pulling yourself along the warp (rope tied to anchor)
The aim is to get into deeper water so that you are able to get the centreboard down and prevent being blown back towards the shore. Once in deeper water then either anchor or tie onto a mooring and raise the sails, centerboard and rudder down and then sail away. You can also have the helm raise the mainsail while the crew is paddling or kedging.

Recovery
In this situation you are heading directly for the shore!! So to have maximum control you need to reduce the sail area and thus slow the boat down. As in the diagram, head up into the wind and drop the main, so that only the jib remains. Tidy up the sail then bear away again. As you approach the shore remember to raise the centreboard/daggerboard (the centreboard/daggerboard should of course be almost up as your sailing downwind) and also the rudder blade!!! As this is a beach then it will get shallower as you approach so gradually raise the foils to compensate! Once it is deep enough to stand in the water then release the jib and push the tiller away from you to put the boat parallel to the beach, and jump out. Pull the boat up the beach and secure everything.

If you get blown onto a lee-shore inadvertently, then the first thing to do is get the sails down to reduce the push of the wind. then utilise the launching method above to get sailing again!

Jetty/Pontoon
Launching
Launching from a pontoon is very straightforward. If you are on the leeward side (wind blowing off the pontoon onto you) then the boat will be facing into the wind assuming its tied onto a cleat, so you can raise the sails, prepare everything, untie and drift backwards with the wind. When you have enough space, pull the sails in and then tack around and sail off downwind. Again, you can back the jib to blow the front round.

If you are on the windward side of the pontoon its slightly different. If possible try and move to the leeward side. If this is still not possible use the same methodology as for launching from a lee-shore as above.

Recovery
The method for this is exactly the same as above except that the water will not be getting deeper so you can leave the rudder and centreboard in their proper position (dependant on point of sailing). Once you have chosen your point to come ashore, then you just keep heading towards the pontoon. As you near it then send your crew forward to fend off. If you are approaching from downwind remember to ease the sails so that the boat slows down. When approximately one and half boat length from the pontoon or jetty then head into the wind and let the boat drift to a stop. The stronger the wind the further away you need to be when you head into the wind so the boat slows.

Mooring buoy
Launching
The principles are exactly the same as for the pontoon launch except that the crew needs to untie the painter from the buoy. You can then sail away as described above for pontoon launch. Generally when you are tied onto a buoy the boat will be facing into the wind making launching a lot easier. If there is a stern line attached then untie this so the boat faces into the wind, hoist the sales, and proceed as above.

Recovery
Again, this utilises the same method as for coming into the pontoon. Dependant on whether you are approaching your desired mooring from upwind or downwind will determine the method. As you now know, if coming from upwind then drop the main and approach under jib alone. If approaching from downwind then beat up towards the buoy, head into wind and drift in, coming to a stop with the bow on the buoy.

Introduction
Unless you will always sail at inland sites at some point you will have to deal with the sea, and know its behaviour. The ocean is a powerful force and in order to protect yourself then it is essential that you treat it with respect and know about the different conditions.

Tides
This has a great impact when sailing on the sea as it can dictate the behaviour the boat, i.e. how fast you will get somewhere, where you can go, and how long it will take. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon on the earth. There are two types of tides, SPRINGS and NEAPS. Spring tides are characterised by having the highest high tides, and the lowest low tides, whereas Neap tides are characterised by having the lowest high tides and the highest low tides. That means that the greatest range between high and low tides is with spring tides, and the smallest range is with neap tides. The red circle is the sun, the green is the earth, and the yellow is the moon. Diagram A – The gravitational pull of the sun and the moon are opposite. Therefore, the tidal state on the earth will be as follows – on the sides facing the sun and the moon the sea will be pulled out – hence high spring tides. On the sides where there is no pull acting, there will be low spring tides as the water is drawn to the top and bottom. Diagram B – All the water will be pulled towards, in the diagram, the top right of earth, so high tides there and low tides at the bottom left of earth. The moon goes through four phases rotating round the earth and therefore this diagram can be adjusted to which phase the moon is in. As the tide rises and falls it leads to a flow of water around the coast which is called the tidal stream. When the tide is coming in it is FLOODING, and when it is falling it is EBBING. MORE DETAIL ON TIDES CAN BE FOUND IN THE STAGE 2 SECTION.

Information on tides
This is gained from tide table which are available in chandlers and at sailing clubs and at numerous other locations. These tables give the timings of high and low tides on particular dates at particular times, the also give a figure which is the height of the tide above chart datum – which is the figure on the chart. Therefore you can work out how much water is in a given place at a given time.

Tidal stream
This can be observed by looking at your surroundings, namely: boats at anchor face into the tidal stream buoys lean away from the stream and have water ‘piling’ up on the side that the flow is coming from water will swirl round post and other fixed objects Tidal stream flow faster in deep water channels and off headlands.

Warning!
When sailing in coastal areas be sure to tell someone of your plans, such as where you are most likely to be going and give them an idea of your timescales. Remember to inform them of your return!

Anchoring
In order to anchor you need to have an anchor and plenty of line – there are various types of anchor, but the local chandlery will be able to advise you on the most appropriate. Choose your spot, ensure that it will have enough water for the time you want to leave Keep your options open – consider an escape route for the Approach using the techniques discussed in the launching and recovery section. Come to rest head to wind, drop your anchor from the bow (feed it out slowly), ensuring it is fastened to the boat! Let the boat drift back Check the anchor is holding by lining up two fixed immovable objects on land and monitoring them, if they stay in line it is holding, if they become misaligned, then you are drifting and will need to re-anchor. This is taking a transit. Your anchor should have a length of chain on it which will allow to hold easily, by keeping it flat to the ground. The method is the same as for picking up a mooring except that you are dropping and anchor instead of fastening yourself to a buoy.