The best way to learn how to sail

[thomm225]

My books and magazines were all about the boats I raced.

I also had 20-30 old Hobie Hotline Magazines all with good sailing/racing articles.

During this period we had two boats most of the time because my son at age 15 had his own boat that he would sail to the beach with friends. They usually sailed a Hobie 16 but sometimes the Nacra 6.0

With kids though that is always nerve racking for the parents. I have watched through binaculars as a storm over took them as they were trying to make it back to the mainland. They were flying and later my son said the stern of the boat kept coming out of the water with all three of them on the back of the boat the winds were so strong.

They made it to the navy base where the marines allowed them to hang out at their barracks until the storm was over.

We had (2) Hobie 16's, a Nacra 6.0, and a Nacra 17 during this period from 1992 - 2006.

We started in Tennessee though learning and racing on lakes that were 45-70 miles away. The lakes were actually in Mississippi. (Arkbutla and Sardis) both of which were TVA Lakes.

I'd read during the week and raced on the weekends and if there wasn't a race I live on the water by the mid 90's with the boats already setup so I/we could just raise sail and sail the 10 miles or so to Pensacola Beach at most any time.

Or if we wanted some time away from the crowds just sail out to the barrier island and walk across to the gulf side and relax a while

Pictures of my son and his friends headed to Pensacola Beach and also one of him waiting for the race to start at Sardis Lake in 1997. Boat is already setup we are just waiting for the Skippers meeting and the race start time.

[Chotu]

I could probably stand to read a couple of those once I get my rig on. Lol

[Srpulpo]

One way if you have clubs in your area is to go on race days and ask to help out, you will get good experience on different boats and as you get more skills you will be given more roles.

[thomm225]

One improbable thing though that occurred was that the book above and attached here had articles from several of the best Beach Cat racers in the USA.

I used to study this book quite a bit while in Tennessee.

Little did I know at the time that soon I'd be racing against them on many weekends.

The ones I raced against were Carlton Tucker, Bob Curry, and Randy Smyth.

My son and I on our Nacra 6.0 were along side Randy Smyth on his Corsair 25C much of the way of the first leg in the 1997 100 mile Round The Island Race.

Soon as we came inside at Pensacola Pass though he was gone as we didn't have a spinnaker

I raced against Bob Curry multiple times.

Randy Smyth had been in several Olympics Sailing Tornadoes. I believe Bob Curry had crewed for him in one of those.

Many times Smyth would totally dominate the race sometimes using a sail he designed and raced PHRF on those occasions.

https://www.sailingworld.com/racing/randy-smyth/

https://olympics.com/en/athletes/randy-smyth

[Tedd]

Dinghies are great, but I also want to recommend sailboards as a way to learn to sail for someone who's young and fit enough. Nothing helps you understand the forces on a sail better than becoming the rigging yourself.

I also want to say how pleased I am that so many responders aren't jumping all over OP for not taking an accredited course, as so often happens in other forums where this question has come up. I think formal training is the best approach in many cases, but not all. People have a wide variety of backgrounds, attributes, and goals. Formal training in sailing is right for some combinations of those, and possibly beneficial to some extent for everyone, but not necessarily the best approach in any one case.

[DEAN2140]

If there is one near you, I would recommend a sailing school. It will take you through all the steps, both in theory and practice, to give you the basic knowledge to sail. Some folks emphasize getting on a racing boat (not easy as a newbie)but there you will have to learn through observation more than by doing. And it is a competitive event so there may be some stress involved. Some sailing schools also features social activities around sailing, which will give you a chance to use the school's boats and mingle with some "graduate" students.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by DEAN2140

If there is one near you, I would recommend a sailing school. It will take you through all the steps, both in theory and practice, to give you the basic knowledge to sail. Some folks emphasize getting on a racing boat (not easy as a newbie)but there you will have to learn through observation more than by doing. And it is a competitive event so there may be some stress involved. Some sailing schools also features social activities around sailing, which will give you a chance to use the school's boats and mingle with some "graduate" students.

Actually you should race your own boat as a beginner since observing will bore you to tears especially on a monohull.

(The same goes for a sailing school. Totally boring)

You will learn very fast racing your own boat.

Just learn the basics then go race.

You can learn things like backing your boat up later

[Bill Seal]

Not everyone has an innate need to be the fastest boat out there. The admiral and I just like to set the sails, lock the helm, kick back and look for dolphins or whales. If we're lucky, we'll make Catalina before dark. Mv giving buddy and I got into sailing 50 years ago as a more reliable way to get back from diving the channel islands.

[thomm225]

But it is fun to be the fastest boat, and to be the fastest you have to know a lot about sailing, sail trim, sails, boat setup, and course management which includes best side of the course as well as where the currents are.

I'm partial to speed though and all the work it takes to keep a fast boat moving faster than the rest of the fleet especially since you are the main ballast

Word is the Nacra 17's like in the video below can get to speeds around 40 knots when lifted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQDt7svQIxM

[chrisr]

while i agree it's fun to be fast, the reason that racing is the best way to learn to sail is that you are constantly pushing your limits.

you go out on the big days, carry the kite in ridiculous windspeeds, learn to handle the boat in tricky circumstances. doing the hard stuff that sailing schools don't teach you...always learning and stretching and building experience...so that the day you are out on the bay with the family, and something goes wrong, you can deal with it - instead of squaking for help at the first broken fingernail like the other muppets

cheers,

[underblu]

Thank you everyone for the insightful replies. Just being on the forum has been incredibly helpful, reading threads and looking up terminology.

Still, sailing a 20ft plus sailboat on the sound/ocean still seems daunting. In addition to standard boating experience learning how to read charts, using navigation and depth tools, familiarizing yourself with the nuances of local waters, -with sailing there is an entire extra dimension in that the desire or goal is to be propelled by the wind in a particular direction as optimally as possible.

I wonder if it’s like guitar in that for me there was a complete shift from stumbling around the fretboard to where muscle memory completely takes over and you just have this feeling of effortless comprehension. Like when a plane becomes airborne. I mean that’s why the promise of sailing is so appealing to me. It seems there may be a point where everything is connected, there is a rhythm where you feel at one with your vessel, the sea and the wind.

I like the idea of racing. Driving fast cars and the race track is particularly exhilarating. And I think as suggested going out with a seasoned sailer could provide some hands on experience. I’m going to look into sailing schools but something the focuses on on the water sailing rather than classroom lectures.

[Lodesman]

Well if no-one else is going to say it - you don't need to learn to sail, you just need to get your You-tube channel dialed-in and your patreon account set-up. Anything that's going to happen, is gonna happen out there. (apologies to Capt Ron)

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by underblu

Thank you everyone for the insightful replies. Just being on the forum has been incredibly helpful, reading threads and looking up terminology.

Still, sailing a 20ft plus sailboat on the sound/ocean still seems daunting. In addition to standard boating experience learning how to read charts, using navigation and depth tools, familiarizing yourself with the nuances of local waters, -with sailing there is an entire extra dimension in that the desire or goal is to be propelled by the wind in a particular direction as optimally as possible.

I wonder if it’s like guitar in that for me there was a complete shift from stumbling around the fretboard to where muscle memory completely takes over and you just have this feeling of effortless comprehension. Like when a plane becomes airborne. I mean that’s why the promise of sailing is so appealing to me. It seems there may be a point where everything is connected, there is a rhythm where you feel at one with your vessel, the sea and the wind.

I like the idea of racing. Driving fast cars and the race track is particularly exhilarating. And I think as suggested going out with a seasoned sailer could provide some hands on experience. I’m going to look into sailing schools but something the focuses on on the water sailing rather than classroom lectures.

Its all in the compis mentes.. how well your brain files information.
Navigation, once one learns the principles of chart work you should be able to do rough calculations with a glance at the chart to cover the next 24hrs on the ocean or the next 4hrs going coastal or along a channel like the ICW..
Problem solving comes with experience and reasoning, brain power again, analyse and resolve or improvise..
As for racing, it's okay if your into that kinda thing, but for me personally just having the boat sailing just so is enough..
Although I must confess I have been known to have a little private hack with another boat from time to time just for a laugh but club racing..???
Naah it's just to testosterone heavy..
The actual sailing is easy.

[DEAN2140]

Any good sailing school will combine classroom instruction with on the water lessons. Good luck.

[Cyrus Safdari]

Originally Posted by underblu

I’ve only sailed small sunfish type craft when I was a kid where flipping over was half the fun..

This is basically it with less capsizing. If you can sail a beach catamaran you can sail a bigger boat.

Half-joking aside the difference between sailing and playing guitar is that sailing is often not a single person activity. You can tell experienced sailors apart from novices "deck meat" precisely because they can move easily and fulidly to do things like tack without being told what to do working as part of a team... like an orchestra?

Just like anything else ie music learning sailing is all about practice. Books are useful to learn things like terminology but you can't learn sailing from a book or video of course
No on 8s "finished" learning to sail, it is a lifetime of lessons. The only thing you can do to "learn sailing" is show up & do it. I'd start with a smaller keel boat or trailer boat, ideally with a tiller not wheel so you can feel the forces & go out in a bay with someone who can teach you the basics. A couple of certification courses too, to be safe. Avoid the schools that put 4-6 students to a big sailboat. Stick with small boats that let you feel the pressures, and one-on-one instruction as much as possible. Go to a local boatyard, find the old fogies covered in dust, sipping beers under a tree shade in the afternoon, and have a chat with them; they may be happy to teach you the basics in exchange for more beers and sell you a boat