The leeward mark is one of the biggest pinch points on the race course, with…
5 tips – Essential yacht racing skills
5 tips on strategic starting for sailors
Getting a good start is not just about being fast off the line in clear…
Top helming tips to keep your yacht balanced
According to Andy Beadsworth, when you’re helming the boat you’re not so much steering as…
How to recover a man overboard
After 45,000 nautical miles racing in the Clipper Round the World Race, skipper Chris Brooks…
How to use your autopilot for downwind sailing
Top-spec autopilots have become very sophisticated, not least in the use of AI (artificial intelligence),…
How to use the racing rules of sailing
When working as a rules adviser, Bill O’Hara’s job with his sailors is to make…
What you need to know to head out to sea alone
Solo sailing may seem daunting at first, but if you regularly sail with a novice…
Expert sailing tips: pre-race strategy
Good race strategy is about doing as much pre-race homework as possible and getting that…
Expert tips: How to win the start
Robert Scheidt always used to start out of the middle of the line. That was…
5 expert tips for going fast while reaching
Years of short-course racing in small keelboats in fleet race and match race competitions had…
Second-hand boats: Buying a shorthanded racing yacht
The rapidly growing double-handed and shorthanded racing scene has attracted a flurry of recently launched…
Upwind headsail trimming: Top tips from a pro
The challenge of headsail trimming, according to Stir Fry, is understanding at any given moment…
5 expert sailing tips: Night helming
Chris Nicholson’s prowess in 18ft Skiffs and three World Championship titles in the early days…
Spinnaker drop techniques: top tips for ‘string drops’
Dinghies like the 505 have been using chutes to ‘string drop’ their spinnakers into the…
How to keep calm under pressure
After sailing a brilliant qualifying series during the Tokyo Olympic Games earlier this summer, a…
Autopilot modes: how to make the most of your pilot
I view my autopilot in the same way I view sail plan and weight distribution…
How to put together a winning crew
Despite only having come to offshore racing six years ago, Tom Kneen has proven a…
How to run the pit: Top tips from a pro sailor
Running the pit is more than pulling the right ropes at the right time, according…
How to sail in light winds and tide
The lighter the breeze, the more significant the effects of any current or tidal flow.…
How to deal with problems at sea
Liz Wardley, by her own admission, hated school. “I was a very bad student, but…