Yacht Racing

After finishing ASA 101 a basic Keelboat sailing course and begin to experience sailing as a second nature sort, you can decide to challenge yourself to a yacht race. During the race, sailors are supposed to make tactical changes, gauge the condition and maximizing performance throughout the race. For a first-time boat racer, there are certain tips they should know so that they can manage the racing challenge.

Choosing the right race is very important for a person who wants to do yacht racing. It is important to ask around from experienced boat racers to know more about the type of races that are available. A beginner should not pick an ultra-competitive race. There are races that are more challenging than others. Pick a race that is mainly focused on fun, barbecue race or benefit contest. Take some time to get ready and see the race as a learning goal.

Look for an experienced racer to be your team so that he can be your safety net during the race. Having a patient friend who is an experienced racer as your safety net will build your confidence during the race. You can learn extra skills from him but you should try to manage the race like a team.

Know all the essential rules. Yacht racing is a sport that you may not know all the rules for you to participate, but it is important to know all the basic rules. You can read “Sailing for Dummies” by Peter Isler and you will know all the basic rules about yacht racing. After knowing all the basic rules you can go for training and you will end up not spoiling somebody’s day or hurting anyone during the race.

Before attending any race ensure you read the race notice on the hosting club website. Read the notice thoroughly because it has very vital information about the game and the day of the event. You will be able to know the order of starts, course(s), channels of communication and many other things. Ensure you have a solid understanding of the event.

It is important to attend the skippers’ meeting. Many experienced racers may skip the captain meeting for the races they have attended before, but for a beginner ensure you attend the meeting. The meeting will ensure you understand better the notice about the race and you can ask a question in case you did not understand something.
If you do everything correctly according to the plan you will have the confidence of winning the race. However, at the beginning, you should not push extra hard. During the race, Yachts are near each other, but a good understanding of the rules will help you to be calm and race in the right way.

Once the race start and you are off the starting line just watch what other racers are doing and follow them. For a person who likes racing the first day, you can decide to be a copycat because there is a lot of time later you can use for waxing and become a good boat racer.