Sailing Techniques & Maneuvers
Crew Organization and Co-Ordination

On crewed yachts, Yachtmaster's will have to learn to organize the crew into performing various roles dependant on their ability and develop co-ordination among these crews when conducting certain drills onboard as you progress. Talking through the task before starting and giving clear and precise directions as the procedure continues and by keeping a sharp eye for any developing problems avoids the panic that is usually shown by inexperienced crew.

This can become an exercise in managing human relations and resources as well as learning to handle the yacht for the Yachtmaster. This may pose an added problem for people unaccustomed to giving or receiving orders and directions.

Experienced crew or your AY Instructor upon sensing this problem should help by opening up crew discussions and teaching others the benefits of their knowledge. Remember - Practice Makes Perfect

Man Over Board Recovery

Although MOB recovery is introduced in the AY Level 2 Day Skipper Course, it is repeated at AY Levels 3 and 4 to ensure that you have the opportunity to master this important technique on every size and type of pleasure yacht available.

The Basic Principles are:

1. Regain control of the yacht.
2. Post an observer who relates the distance, relative bearing and keeps the MOB in sight.
3. Sail off on a beam reach, letting the jib fly. Motorized craft and some yachtmasters may try the 'Quick Stop' Method to return to the MOB.
4. Try to keep an eye on the person in the water who may have inflated his lifejacket and should be holding up his hands and shouting to keep in touch.
5. When you are a suitable distance away, tack back onto a reciprocal course. That distance will vary according to weather conditions, but the principle is that it is just far enough to give you room for the rest of the maneuver
6. As you get closer, sail slightly downwind so that your final approach can be on a close reach, allowing you to control your speed.
7. Stop with the MOB at your weather shroud.
8. As you move forward to help him, flick the helm to windward and position the retrieving crew behind the weather shroud. That flick stops the boat inadvertently tacking on top of the man while you are struggling to retrieve him.

Sailing to Best Advantage

This part of the AY Coastal and Offshore Yachtmaster Instructional Course aims to polish and improve on the techniques learnt earlier, during the Day Skipper sailing sessions. Perhaps the most important aspects of pure sailing are summarized in the 'Five Essentials' - Sail Setting, Boat Balance, Fore and aft Trim, Centerboard Position and Course Made Good.

Sail Setting

You know from your earlier AY Instructional Courses and sailing experiences that each sail, whether mainsail, jib or genoa and spinnaker will set best when eased until it just starts to flap along the luff and then pulled in just enough to stop the flapping. At this point there is an even flow of air across both sides of the sail.

As an aid to sail trimming the Telltales or lengths of wool or nylon strips sewn onto the genoa or jib luffs and mainsail leech give a clear indication of whether the airflow at that point on the sail is smooth or stalled.

At another level of use, such jib luff telltales will indicate whether the Sheeting Angle is correct. If it is, all of the telltales will respond to a change in wind direction in unison. If the sheeting angle is too far aft, the top telltale will lift before the others and conversely if the sheeting angle is too far forward, the bottom telltale will lift first. When close reaching a Barber Hauler can be rigged to lead the jib sheet further outboard thereby opening the slot and allowing an even flow of air across the sails.

Similarly, mainsail leech telltales indicate whether the sail is oversheeted and if sail twist is right for the conditions, such that all the telltales stream together. If the leech is too twisted the top telltale will stall first and vice versa. Boomvang, Mainsheet, Cunningham Eye and Traveler adjustments provide the cure.

Fore and Aft Trim

Once again, we need to progress from the basic advice in the AY Day Skipper about keeping the boat flat to consider active use of body weight.

Sailing to windward, Crew weight should be concentrated to windward and forward in all conditions. In light weather, it serves to reduce wetted surface area and hence drag, whilst in stronger winds it promotes bow immersion and hence prevents the bow being knocked off to leeward by waves, which increases leeway.

Off the wind, Crew weight is moved to the middle and progressively aft depending on hull shape, wind direction and strength. The stronger and freer the wind, the further aft you sit. Most modern hulls are designed with flat aft sections for planing in moderate or strong winds. To promote planing you need to get the bow sections clear of the water. This also helps the steering characteristics and counters the pitching moment of the rig, which is trying to make you nose dive.

Whether sailing upwind or down, the crew should work as a team, concentrating body weight together. This reduces windage and the pitching caused by wave action.

Centerboard Position (if applicable)

All that needs to be said at this level is at every alteration of course should be matched by an almost instinctive change in centerboard position. In stronger winds it is sometimes preferable to raise the centerboard a little even when beating in order to induce heeling. The theory is that leeway is reduced anyway due to the higher boat speed.

1) When beating into the wind, full centerboard is needed to reduce leeway.
2) When reaching across the wind, board can be partially raised.
3) When running there is no leeway, but a small amount of centerboard will make the boat easier to steer

Course Made Good

Plan your route to take the greatest advantage of favorable factors and the least ill effects of contrary factors. On any water you are subject to windshifts, and your course made good will take advantage of freeing shifts and tacking to steer you away from headers.

Sailing offwind on inland waters, free of obstructions to water or wind, your best course made good will probably be a straight line between departure and destination. In planing conditions, this route will of course be modified by the alterations needed to take best advantage of gusts and directional shifts.

At all other times, you'll have to weigh up the relative benefits of different routes. When sailing on still waters inland, the wind shadows caused by buildings or trees might be your only concern. On rivers, the current probably causes the greatest consideration - stay in the middle when sailing with it, keep to the edges when against the flow. Find out how the current flows around bends in the river (usually faster on the outside).

At sea, you'll have the extra dimension of the tide. The basic principle of staying in a fair tide and out of a foul one is clear enough, but by AY Level 3 & 4 you should be thinking about other alternatives or considerations. Tides flow faster in channels and around headlands, so plan your route accordingly. Assuming you can tack efficiently, it will pay you to short tack along the shore in shallow water rather than take long hitches out into the tide.