Sit on the windward side
The windward side is the high side, the side the wind hits first. Your weight keeps the boat flat. If the boat heels, move out. If it feels dead, move in.
Home / How to sail
Wind, helm, and sail
Sail the boat you have, not the course you wish you were on
Three jobs happen at once: steer, trim the sail, and keep the hull flat. Do them slowly. Speed comes after balance.
Find the wind first
Look at flags, ripples on the water, and telltales or a ribbon on the sprit. Feel the breeze on your face and the back of your neck. The boat can sail around the wind, but not straight into it.
The no-go zone is a wedge of about 45 degrees either side of the wind. Point there and the sail flaps, the boat slows, and you eventually stop. That is also how you park.
Launch tip: push off with the bow slightly away from the wind, daggerboard part-way down, and the sail eased. Get moving before you try to point upwind.
How to sit, steer, and trim
The tiller is opposite
Push the tiller right and the bow goes left. Pull the tiller left and the bow goes right. Hold the extension so you can sit out and still see ahead.
Sheet to the course
Upwind: sail pulled in, just shy of flapping. Beam reach: sail about halfway out. Downwind: sail eased, vang still on so the boom does not sky.
Keep one hand on the tiller extension and one on the mainsheet. If you need to swap sides, change hands as you cross. Do not let go of both at once.
Tacking and jibing
Tack — bow through the wind
Use a tack to change direction when you are sailing upwind. Look for space, then:
- Say “ready about” if someone is near you.
- Push the tiller to leeward so the bow turns into the wind.
- As the sail comes over, duck, cross the boat, and sit on the new windward side.
- Swap hands. Centre the tiller. Sheet in and get the boat flat.
If you stall facing the wind, ease the sheet a little, push the boom out to back the sail, and turn onto a reach.
Jibe — stern through the wind
Use a jibe to change direction when you are sailing downwind. The boom can swing hard, so only jibe in control:
- Say “prepare to jibe.” Look behind the sail.
- Sheet in as you start the turn so the boom has less room to slam.
- Turn the stern through the wind. Guide the boom across and duck.
- Ease the sheet on the new side. Sit windward. Steer straight.
If the wind is fresh, a beginner can turn up through a tack instead of jibing. That is slower and safer.
A first-session drill
- Leave the beach on a reach. Sail to a mark or coach boat and stop by turning into the wind.
- Bear away, sheet out, and return on the opposite reach.
- Add one tack at the far end when the boat feels steady.
- Practice a controlled stop beside a mark. Hold the boat “in irons” for a few seconds, then peel off.
When that loop is boring, you are ready for a small triangle: upwind tack, reach, and a careful jibe or extra tack at the bottom.
Common beginner mistakes
| What happens | Try this |
|---|---|
| Boat spins or feels twitchy | Centre the tiller. Small movements only. |
| Sail flaps while you heel | Sheet in and sit out. Flatten first. |
| You keep pointing at the wind | Look at the sail, not the destination. Fall off to a reach. |
| Boom hits you on a jibe | Sheet in before the turn. Duck. Or tack instead. |
If something feels wrong, read safety and capsize recovery.