Sailing Basics

Sailing Basics

Sailing Is Not A Complicated Sport

By Michael Sanford
It seems obvious how a sailboat sails downwind: It is pushed
along by the wind in its sails. Less obvious is how it can sail
upwind or how some sailboats can sail faster than the wind.

Sir Isaac Newton formulated three basic laws that pertain to
the motions and accelerations of all objects.

Let us have a look at the third law:

For any force exerted on an object, an equal but opposite force
must be exerted by that object onto whatever exerted the force.

A direct consequence of this law is the conservation of
momentum (Momentum equals mass times velocity). The conservation
of momentum tells us that if the velocity of one thing is
somehow changed (in either magnitude or direction) that the
velocity of something else must also change accordingly.

Moreover, a large change in velocity of a light object can be
balanced by a small change in velocity of a massive object. This
is, of course, how a sailboat sails. Because of its large sail
area, a sailboat can change the velocity of a huge amount of air
in a small amount of direction or speed.

The change of velocity that the sailboat imparts to the air
hitting her sails is mainly a change in the direction in which
the air is moving. So a sailboat can experience a large driving
force even when she is sailing against the wind.

In the real world, there are two forces. One is the wind
pushing on the sail when it is changing direction. The air
traveling over the leeward surface of the cambered sail creates
the second force. It has to travel a longer way to reach the end
of the sail (the leech), and as a consequence goes faster. This
is causing a pressure differential in accordance with
Bernoulli’s principle. (More speed gives less pressure and less
speed gives more pressure).

So a sailboat can sail upwind with the addition of these two
forces. But remember that the force created by the depression is
four times bigger that the one created by pushing the air
sideways.

A fluid flow exerts a force upon an object in a direction
perpendicular to the uninterrupted flow of that fluid. As a
result, a lift is generated. But there is also creation of a
drag that is a force acting in the direction of the
fluid.Because lift and drag are defined as being perpendicular
to one another, any force acting on a sail can, using
trigonometry, be divided into a lift component and a drag
component. By separating the force into these two components, we
can study the relationships between lift, drag, the shape of the
sail, and the angle between the sail and the airflow( AOA or
Angle Of Attack with the Greek letter).

Sailing is not a complicated sport. Anyone can do it and enjoy
it.

Spend time on the water

You just need to take a little time on the water. Trying and
collecting experience is one of the best way to learn. I am sure
you will have a great time on the water.

You can start just by yourself.

Plenty of sailors started buying, renting, borrowing or
otherwise obtaining a boat for their first sail without any
knowledge.

Let me say that you have to take care because it could be
hazardous to your health.

Get the Right Boat

For a child, learning to sail in a dinghy seems natural. For an
adult, it is not so simple. You react less by instinct and fear
to go on this unstable machine could surface. For this reason,
many people opt for a larger, seemingly more forgiving big boat
to learn on.

It is another way, but they miss out on a pure form of sailing
not experienced in larger boats. Is it Dangerous?

Which danger could threaten you on a small sailing boat? You
could tip over. It is called “Capsize”. Capsizing and learning
to right your boat again are all part of the learning process
and could be fun.

With the fear of capsize behind you, you will be able to
concentrate wholly on sailing maneuvers instead of constantly
worrying about getting wet.

Don't wait and Jump

Remember, you told everyone that you would like to become a
sailor and go across oceans…

Well, it's time to make good on that.

At first, gauge how you feel about the water.

During your last summer vacation, did you jump right in the
water or did you cautiously wade in? Okay, I agree it could
depend of the weather and the temperature of the water.

But if you're a jumper, you can stop reading here. Just take a
day off from the office, buy or rent a boat, or ask an old
friend sailor to come with you, and get out of here!

If you're still with me, then you're a wader. Don’t worry. I am
not a jumper too, and I sailed during the last 40 years having
fun. It is difficult for me to take the decision to go, but if I
fall, by accident,in the (cold) water, it is not such a big
problem for me. The more I think about, the less I go…

Have no fear. Nobody is going to splash you. Let's start with
dipping our toes into the water. The way to do that with sailing
is to go out and buy a few books about the sport. Stay away from
anything boring, technical, or overly historical. You need an
easy book, with a lot of drawings, and nice to read.

Lobbying, Lobbying

Now let's go to a more serious work. Figure out a way to catch
an invitation onto a sailboat. The important thing is to get
sailing. You can pay to go on a sailing boat with skipper, or
twist a friend’s arm to be invited aboard his next sail. I don’t
care the method. You need to go on the water. As a good info, it
is very rare to be sick on small boats. You are outside, in the
wind, all thing concurring to have you feeling well.

Just take care not to do a race with a crazy guy who will cure
you of sailing. You have to start with a mellow sailing day.

Take a Course

It's time to move on to the second step. Find an adult sailing
course and sign up for it. Personally, I would recommend taking
your first lessons in a small sailing boat, a dinghy. For
sailing courses they are designed for beginners. They will give
you an immediate response to any shifts in the variables that
affect sailing (weight, wind, waves, and weather).

If your wife (or your husband, boyfriend or girlfriend) wants
to learn sailing too, take separate classes. It's difficult
enough to learn a new sport without having your partner watching
over your shoulder at every step of the way.

It will be time later to sail (and should the occasion arise,
to fight) all together, as an old couple, on the same boat.

About the Author: For more information on sailing please visit
the sailing resource center at
http://www.sailing-advice-guide.info

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