Skills and Tips

Racing Tips with Bill Gladstone ...
This hour long video is packed with great techniques for all sailing and racing abilities ... click here. The word of the 'oracle' is most thoroughly recommended. The sail simulator program used in the video by Bill Gladstone above, the North U Simulator, can be down loaded free, along with some other very useful items at click here.

Docking Techniques ...
Docking techniques for single engine boats with right hand turning propellers based on eight years of docking training courses conducted at the Maryland School of Sailing & Seamanship. This seminar was presented by Captain Tom Tursi who is author of the American Sailing Association's ASA118 Docking Endorsement textbook. A little drawn out, with little coverage of current, but some excellent principles, technique and approach to planning. Click Here

Cruising off the Scottish West Coast ...
Scotlands west coast has as big a reputation for its wide variety of weather and strong tides as it does for its breathtaking beauty. With such stark contrasts a part of the local mix it is easy to be intimidated, yet the Hebrides also provides protected cruising grounds at the heart of some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. More ...

Superb TP52 Racing Video - Miami Royal Cup 2017
Terry Huchinson - Tactician & Helmsman extraordinaire - Americas Cup, Quantum Race Team and more ... Twin web-cams plus drone overhead coverage. Click Here

Watching the tacking is a real treat - notice the 3-2-1 call for the tacks, and how the jib trimmer is winching in the sheet as the boat points up into the tack, and how quickly the tack is completed, the jib sheeted, then the in-hauler is tweaked after speed is achieved. The skills are unbelievable ..

Gybing and Preventers - Nice and Controlled ...
Check this video out - all about preventers and gybing - Texas style .... Click Here

Rolling Hitch
The rolling hitch is a great knot for freeing up heavily loaded riding turns on a winch. Check this link out .. Click Here

Method: Take a long free rope, eg a spare spinnaker sheet. Tie the rolling hitch to the loaded sheet, between the jib clew and the winch. Take the tail of the free rope to a winch (perhaps via a block) so as to take the tension off the loaded sheet, and allow the riding turns to be cleared. Now reload the primary sheet on its winch, ease the tension on the free rope and undo the rolling hitch.

Rig Tuning and Sail Setting - A masterclass by Michael McNamara (Established sailmaker and racer)
An excellent talk and demonstration on sail setting, tell-tales, sheeting, kicker, cunningham and loads more ... Click Here

Spinnaker Dousing Methods (By UK Sailmakers)
An excellent video showing the difference in using a retrieval line vs. the letter-box method ... Click Here

Downwind sail comparison of a Spinnaker, Gennaker with a sock, and IFS Gennaker. (By Peter Bresnan)
An excellent video showing the different rig-up, hoisting and dropping of these 3 spinnaker types ... (IFS = Integrated Furling System) Click Here

Last updated 15:28 on 12 November 2023