| INTRODUCTION TO SAILING
Sailing is becoming an increasing popular water sport, particularly among the younger generations, that offers a huge thrill and adventure to the sailor, to exist amid vast natural sea conditions.
Sailing refers to the act of navigating, maneuvering and controlling a sailing vessel on the sea. It is a specialized skill that requires years of experience in sea conditions, as well as a detailed understanding of sailboats. The expert sailor harnesses the force of the winds to his benefit by managing the rigging, the rudder and the dagger skillfully.
PRESENT SAILING TRENDS
In most of parts of the world, sailing is now popularly used as a recreational sport that has been categorized mainly into Racing, Cruising and Dinghy Sailing.
THE MECHANICS OF SAILING
The sailboat derives its power by harnessing the natural force of wind and water to its benefit. Whenever the wind and the current of the sea are in the same direction and at the same speed, the sailor cannot extract any extra power, and the boat will go along with the drift only. And whenever there is an opposing force between the wind and the water, the sailor utilizes that force by placing his sails in the air and his hulls in the water skillfully.
THE FIVE ESSENTIALS OF SAILING
DIRECTION OR COURSE: It entails steering of the boat towards the desired direction or course, using the tiller of the boat.
TRIM: This is the anterior and posterior balance of the boat. Its goal is to adjust the ballast forward or backward in order to achieve an even or balanced keel.
BALANCE: The boat will move at an optimum speed if the weight balanced evenly between the port and the starboard.
SAIL TRIM: For maximum wind harnessing, the sail must be pulled in till it carries the maximum wind, but not beyond the point where the front border of the sail is in line with the wind.
CENTER BOARD: The center board allows the boat to sail against the wind by preventing lateral movement.
BASIC SAILING TECHNIQUES
RUNNING: Sailing the boat within approximately 30 degrees on each side of downwind is known as Running.
REACHING: When the boat is moving roughly perpendicular to the force of wind, it is known as Reaching.
SAILING UPWIND: It refers to the technique of using a series of close-hauled segments to beat a course upwind.
REDUCING SAIL: A critical dimension of sailing is to adjust the sail in accordance with the wind conditions.
Sail Trim, Hull Trim, Points of Sail, and Heeling are some other valuable techniques that help in efficient and successful Sailing.
KNOTS: This is among the most critical items that a good sailor needs to understand well. Especially, the Bowline is most important of all. Even very seasoned sailors can forget how to tie the knots if they have not been in regular practice. Forgetting how to tie a crucial knot can cause serious damage to the boat or inflict injury upon the sailor.
The Sailor must also be fully aware of the general sailing guidelines, rules and regulations which help in avoiding accidents and collisions on the sea with other boats. |
