A mind of her own

Long-keeled yachts with their rudders hung from the keel itself – or a long fin with a skeg for that matter – have a well-deserved reputation for being hard to handle astern under power. It’s easy just to say, ‘There’s nothing I can do. She has a mind of her own,’ but this is almost never true. Given flat water, no wind and no current, any boat will perform the same antics every time, so long as the helm and revs are equal. The trick is to wait for this rarity, grab it, and find out what she really prefers doing. Your only task is then to consider how real-life conditions will affect these natural tendencies. If there’s some manoeuvre she won’t perform at any price, don’t ask her. Look for another way, wait for the tide to turn, or go somewhere else in the first place.