The chances are that some time this season half of us will find ourselves holed up in some faraway port while the usual mid-holiday gale blows itself out. It’s tempting to stick one’s nose past the …
Wide in, tight out
Old racing hands know that the quickest way to round a mark of the course is to approach it wide, then tighten the turn as you round. Not only does this prevent others sneaking inside you as you turn, …
Overfalls and the passage plan
Planning a passage on a electronic vector chart, it’s vital to zoom well in at any headlands or other pinch points. The nature of the beast is that vital details are often ‘layered out’ by the …
Give the kids a lure
Ever feel bad about trying to sail at two or three knots in light winds when the kids get bored and restless. Here’s the answer. Any time from May onwards – that’s now – the mackerel start running, …
Yawl or Ketch?
We all know they both have two masts, the mainmast being ahead of the mizzen and considerably larger, but which boat is which, and how to remember it? The answer is that, in a yacht, the ketch steps …
Identifying marks
You’ve spotted a certain buoy through the binoculars, but there are others not too far away. It’s critical that you have the right one, so how do you make sure? The easy answer is to steer so that the …
