Heavy Weather Tacking Tip

This episode discusses the tacking technique I often use when sailing in heavy weather with a reefed mainsail. The traditional method of tacking most sailors learn in sailing courses is to tack from a close-hauled course onto a close-hauled course on the new tack. Heading up onto a close-hauled course before tacking maintains the boat's speed through the tack and the additional pressure on the mainsail helps push the bow through the wind. This is a great way to tack a boat in light to medium air. But when the winds really pick up, I prefer to tack from a beam reach to a beam reach. Tacking from a beam reach (or even a close reach) is much more forgiving once the boat completes the tack and you come onto your new course. It avoids excessive heeling, keeps the bow from getting blown down and bearing away, and keeps the boat under control. When sailing a small trailerable sailboat in heavy winds, tacking from beam reach to beam reach can be a useful technique. Subscribe and follow @ColoradoSailing on YouTube for more original sailing videos, gear, boat maintenance, sailing tips and travel content as I sail my Precision 18 trailer sailer and Precision 16 sailing dinghy in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. #sailingchannel #coloradosailing #sailing #mountainsailing #extremesports