Sailing Tip of the Week: Slow tack or fast tack - which is faster?

8:57 PM Mon 5 Jul 2010 GMT

'Slowly round, nice and easy - gives your crew time, and keeps up the boatspeed' .

Here Grant Headifen discusses the theory of changing course by tacking in the fastest, neatest possible way - relevant for every sailor, whether cruising or racing, and no matter how many crew you have: I once sailed with an ex-submarine captain who would always turn the boat through a tack extremely slowly. When a crew mate asked why, he had three good reasons. (1) Look behind you as you come about. If you are leaving swirling water eddies behind the rudder, these are a sum of kinetic energy that was previously in your sailboat but has now been released to ...

Click here for full story.

by Grant Headifen