Sailing Upwind — Why Zigzagging Is Actually the Fast Route
Sometimes the fastest way to where you want to go is deliberately to sail away from it.
There is a wonderfully counter-intuitive moment when you first learn to sail.
You can see exactly where you want to go.
Perhaps there is a buoy a few hundred metres ahead of you. Perhaps you are trying to get back to the sailing club. Perhaps somebody has simply said:
"Head for that mark."
There is only one problem.
The wind is blowing directly from the mark towards you.
You point the boat towards your destination, pull the sails in and expect the boat to go there.
Instead, the sails start flapping.
The boat slows.
The steering becomes less effective.
And eventually you are sitting almost stationary, wondering why a sailing boat apparently refuses to sail in the one direction you actually want to travel.
Welcome to sailing upwind.
This is where sailing begins to become more than steering a boat.
You have to start thinking.
A Sailing Boat Cannot Sail Directly Into the Wind
By now in this series we have already looked at the points of sail and discovered the no-go zone.
A sailing boat can sail surprisingly close towards the wind, but it cannot sail directly into it.
The exact angle varies enormously depending upon the boat, sails, conditions and sailor, but the basic principle is always the same.
There is a wedge-shaped area directly into the wind where the boat cannot sail effectively.
Imagine the wind coming straight down the river towards you.
Your destination is directly upwind.
You cannot simply point the bow at it.
Instead, you sail towards one side of the river at an angle to the wind.
Then you tack.
You sail towards the other side.
Then you tack again.
The resulting course looks something like this:
WIND
↓
↓
↓
Windward Mark
X
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
Tack Tack
\ /
\ /
\ /
\ /
\ /
\ /
\ /
STARTYour actual track may therefore be considerably longer than the straight-line distance.
Yet it is still faster than pointing directly at the mark and going nowhere.
That is one of sailing's first great lessons:
The shortest route is not necessarily the fastest route.
Close Hauled — Sailing as Near to the Wind as We Sensibly Can
When sailing upwind, we normally sail close hauled.
The sails are pulled relatively close towards the centreline of the boat and the boat sails at an angle towards the wind.
Notice that I said:
as near to the wind as we sensibly can.
Not:
as near to the wind as physically possible.
That distinction becomes very important.
A beginner often discovers that the boat will continue sailing if they gradually turn closer and closer towards the wind.
So they think:
"This must be better. I am pointing more directly towards my destination."
But gradually the boat slows.
The sails lose efficiency.
The centreboard and rudder become less effective.
Eventually the sails begin to luff.
You may appear to be pointing beautifully towards the mark, but you are barely travelling towards it.
This brings us to an important sailing idea.
Pointing Versus Speed
When sailing upwind there is always a compromise between:
how high you point towards the wind
and
how fast the boat travels.
Sail too low and you travel quickly, but perhaps too far sideways.
Sail too high and you travel more directly towards your destination, but the boat slows.
The best course is somewhere between the two.
Experienced sailors become remarkably sensitive to this.
They can feel when a boat is beginning to pinch too close to the wind.
The boat may lose some of its liveliness.
The tiller may feel different.
The sail telltales may begin to misbehave.
Speed starts falling away.
A small change of heading can suddenly make the boat accelerate again.
For beginners, there is a very useful principle:
Do not sacrifice all your speed merely to point a few degrees higher.
A boat moving properly through the water is usually much easier to steer and much more efficient than one struggling on the edge of the no-go zone.
Imagine Cycling Up a Hill
There is a useful comparison with cycling.
Suppose you are climbing a steep hill.
You could put the bicycle into a very high gear.
Each turn of the pedals would theoretically take you further.
Unfortunately, you might hardly be able to turn the pedals.
Change to a slightly easier gear and suddenly you can maintain a sensible speed.
Sailing too close to the wind can be rather similar.
On paper your heading looks excellent.
In practice your speed disappears.
Good sailing is about making the entire system work efficiently rather than chasing one number.
Now We Need Tacking
This is why the tacking lesson was so important.
A tack allows us to change from sailing close hauled with the wind coming over one side of the boat to sailing close hauled with the wind coming over the other.
Suppose the wind is coming straight down the river.
You start sailing diagonally towards the right bank.
Eventually you tack.
You then sail diagonally towards the left bank.
Tack again.
Then back towards the right.
Each leg takes you a little further upwind.
You are effectively climbing towards your destination.
The Invisible Ladder
I sometimes think of sailing upwind as climbing an invisible ladder lying across the water.
Each tack takes you sideways.
But each sideways movement also takes you a little further upwind.
You are gradually gaining height towards your destination.
This is sometimes described as making progress to windward.
And once you begin thinking this way, sailing becomes far more interesting.
You stop merely asking:
"Am I heading towards the buoy?"
Instead you begin asking:
"Am I making good progress towards the buoy?"
Those are not necessarily the same thing.
When Should You Tack?
At first the answer is simple.
Tack when you need to.
If you are approaching the riverbank, another boat, an obstruction or the edge of the sailing area, it is probably time to tack.
But as your sailing improves, another question starts appearing:
When is the best time to tack?
That question takes us gently towards the beginnings of racing strategy.
Without turning this into a racing lesson, there are several things worth thinking about.
Don't Tack More Often Than Necessary
Every tack costs something.
During a tack the boat turns into the wind.
For a moment the sails produce less driving force.
The boat slows slightly.
Then the sails fill on the new side and the boat accelerates again.
A well-executed tack may lose very little speed.
A badly executed one can lose quite a lot.
Therefore, repeatedly tacking every few seconds simply because you can is unlikely to be efficient.
Imagine two boats sailing towards the same windward mark.
Boat A makes six smooth, well-planned tacks.
Boat B makes twenty.
Even if both boats sail equally well between the tacks, Boat B has probably spent much more time slowing down and accelerating again.
Sometimes patience is faster.
But Don't Wait Too Long Either
There is another beginner mistake.
Having learnt that unnecessary tacks cost speed, you decide not to tack.
Ever.
You continue sailing towards the riverbank.
And continue.
And continue.
Eventually you are running out of water.
Now the tack becomes hurried.
Perhaps another boat is nearby.
Perhaps there are trees affecting the wind.
Perhaps the bank is approaching rather faster than expected.
A planned tack is usually much easier than an emergency tack.
Good sailors tend to think ahead.
Look Where You Are Going Before You Tack
Before tacking, take a quick look around.
Ask yourself:
- Is there another boat nearby?
- Is somebody overtaking?
- Is there enough room?
- Is the new course clear?
- Is there shallow water?
- Is there a moored boat?
- Are there rowers, paddleboards or other river users?
- What will happen after I tack?
Beginners naturally concentrate on the boat immediately around them.
Experienced sailors gradually develop a much bigger mental picture.
They are not merely controlling the boat.
They are planning where the boat will be thirty seconds from now.
The Wind Does Not Stay Still
Up to this point, our diagrams have treated the wind as though somebody has drawn a large arrow across the river and left it there.
Real wind is considerably less cooperative.
It changes.
It strengthens.
It weakens.
It bends around buildings and trees.
It can be disturbed by hills and riverbanks.
And, crucially, its direction can shift.
This becomes particularly noticeable when sailing upwind.
Wind Shifts — The Course Keeps Changing
Imagine you are sailing close hauled.
Suddenly the wind direction moves slightly.
You may discover that you can now steer a little closer towards your destination while keeping the sails properly filled.
That is helpful.
Alternatively, the wind may move the other way.
Suddenly your beautifully chosen course points further away from the mark.
These changes are called wind shifts.
You don't need to become a racing tactician on your first afternoon of sailing.
But you can begin noticing them.
Look at:
- your sail;
- your telltales;
- flags and burgees;
- ripples on the water;
- other sailing boats;
- trees on the bank;
- smoke if there is any nearby;
- the angle you are sailing compared with a few moments earlier.
The more you sail, the more you realise that the wind is not simply something that is either "there" or "not there".
It is constantly changing.
A Helpful Wind Shift
Suppose you are sailing towards the right side of the river.
The wind changes direction slightly and suddenly your boat can point closer towards the windward mark.
Excellent.
You have effectively been given a shortcut.
A racing sailor might describe this as being lifted.
Your current tack has become more favourable.
There may be no reason to tack immediately.
An Unhelpful Wind Shift
Now imagine the opposite.
The wind changes and suddenly your heading takes you further away from your destination.
You may have been headed.
Sometimes tacking at that point puts you onto a much better course.
This is one reason racing sailors are continually watching the wind.
They are not merely trying to sail fast.
They are trying to sail fast in the right place and at the right time.
For a beginner, simply becoming aware that wind direction is changing is an enormous step forward.
Don't Chase Every Tiny Change
There is a danger here.
Once you discover wind shifts, it is tempting to react to every tiny movement of the sail.
The result can be frantic steering and repeated tacking.
Relax.
Not every little variation requires a dramatic response.
Let the boat settle.
Watch what happens.
Ask whether the change appears temporary or whether the wind really has shifted.
One of the greatest skills in sailing is learning when not to do something.
The River Makes Upwind Sailing Particularly Interesting
On confined waters such as rivers and smaller lakes, you may not have the enormous open spaces available to offshore sailors.
You may need to tack because of the bank.
You may have moored boats to consider.
Trees can disturb the wind.
Buildings can create sheltered areas.
One side of the river may have noticeably more wind than the other.
That makes sailing wonderfully interesting.
Two apparently identical routes can produce very different results.
You begin to notice little areas where the wind seems stronger.
You notice places where it becomes turbulent.
You begin predicting what might happen before you arrive.
That knowledge comes from experience.
And it is one of the pleasures of sailing regularly in the same place.
You gradually learn the personality of the water.
A Practical Beginner Exercise
Here is an excellent exercise once you are comfortable steering, trimming the sails and tacking.
Choose a buoy or imaginary point directly upwind.
Do not worry about racing towards it.
Your task is simply to reach it efficiently.
Step 1 — Find the wind direction
Look at flags, ripples, your sail or another reliable indicator.
Work out approximately where the wind is coming from.
Step 2 — Identify the no-go zone
Imagine the area directly into the wind where the boat cannot sail.
Your destination may sit directly inside it.
That is fine.
Step 3 — Choose your first tack
Sail close hauled on either port or starboard tack.
Try to maintain good boat speed.
Step 4 — Look ahead
Where will this course take you?
Do you have plenty of water?
What traffic is nearby?
Step 5 — Tack smoothly
Use the technique from our previous lesson.
Prepare.
"Ready about?"
"Ready."
"Lee-oh."
Turn smoothly.
Change sides.
Straighten the rudder.
Trim the sails.
Step 6 — Let the boat accelerate
Do not immediately start fiddling with everything.
Allow the boat to settle onto the new close-hauled course.
Step 7 — Repeat
Continue working your way towards the target.
You have just sailed to windward.
Try It Again — But Use Fewer Tacks
Now repeat the exercise.
This time count your tacks.
Could you reach the same point with one fewer tack?
Do not turn this into an obsession.
The aim is simply to begin thinking about planning your route.
You may discover that your sailing becomes calmer.
Instead of constantly reacting, you begin anticipating.
That is progress.
Then Try It Again — But Concentrate on Speed
On the next attempt, stop trying to point as high as possible.
Bear away from the wind by a few degrees.
Keep the sails working well.
Notice whether the boat feels faster.
You may discover something surprising.
Even though the bow appears to point slightly further away from the mark, your actual progress upwind may improve because the boat is travelling considerably faster.
This is the beginning of understanding velocity made good, often abbreviated to VMG.
We don't need calculations yet.
The concept is enough:
How quickly are you actually getting closer to your real destination?
That matters more than simply where the bow is pointing.
The Boat Pointing Highest May Not Be Winning
This becomes particularly interesting when watching two boats.
Boat A appears to point impressively close to the wind.
Boat B sails several degrees lower.
At first Boat A looks better.
But Boat B is moving much faster.
A minute later you may discover that Boat B has actually made more progress towards the windward mark.
That is why simply copying another boat's angle is not always useful.
Different boats have different characteristics.
Different sail settings matter.
Crew weight matters.
Water conditions matter.
And sometimes one helm is simply sailing the boat more efficiently.
Sailing Upwind Starts to Teach You Strategy
This is where sailing takes another fascinating step.
Until now we have mostly been learning individual skills:
Steering.
Sail trim.
Tacking.
Gybing.
Understanding points of sail.
Now we begin combining them.
You have a destination.
You cannot sail directly towards it.
So you need to create a route.
You have to consider:
- wind direction;
- boat speed;
- sail trim;
- other boats;
- riverbanks;
- wind shifts;
- when to tack;
- what will happen after the tack.
Suddenly sailing has become a moving puzzle.
And the puzzle changes every few seconds.
This Is Why Racing Becomes So Addictive
You do not need to race to enjoy sailing.
But upwind sailing gives us our first glimpse of why racing can become so absorbing.
Imagine ten boats all starting together.
They are all trying to reach the same windward mark.
They are all sailing in roughly the same wind.
Yet within a few minutes they may be spread all over the water.
One boat went left.
Another went right.
One found stronger wind.
One tacked on a favourable shift.
One sailed too close to the wind and lost speed.
Another sailed slightly lower but faster.
One made eight tacks.
Another made four.
Each tiny decision contributes to the result.
It becomes less like driving along a road and more like playing chess on a moving board.
Except the board itself keeps changing.
My Favourite Moment When Teaching Upwind Sailing
One of the most satisfying moments when helping somebody learn to sail is when they stop asking:
"Which way should I steer?"
and start saying:
"I think we should tack."
That change is significant.
They are no longer simply following instructions.
They have looked at the wind.
They have looked at where they want to go.
They have looked at the available water.
And they have made a decision.
That is when someone begins moving from being a passenger controlling a tiller to becoming a sailor.
Don't Forget the Basics
There is a temptation, once strategy enters the picture, to start thinking so hard about wind shifts and tacking angles that the fundamental sailing deteriorates.
So remember the basics.
Keep looking ahead.
Keep the boat moving.
Trim the sails properly.
Make small steering adjustments.
Perform smooth tacks.
Let the boat accelerate afterwards.
Keep a good lookout.
And only then begin worrying about whether one side of the course might be slightly faster than the other.
Good strategy cannot rescue poor boat handling indefinitely.
A Simple Rule for Your First Upwind Sail
If you remember nothing else, remember this:
Sail close hauled with good speed, look ahead, and tack before you run out of water.
That will take you a very long way.
Everything else can be refined later.
The Bigger Lesson
There is something rather appealing about sailing upwind.
Your objective may be directly ahead of you.
Yet heading directly towards it gets you nowhere.
Instead, you deliberately sail away from the straight line.
You make progress at an angle.
Then change direction.
Then change again.
To somebody watching from the bank, your route may look inefficient.
But every tack takes you closer to your destination.
Perhaps that is one reason sailing teaches such useful habits.
Progress does not always happen in a straight line.
Sometimes the fastest route to where you want to go is deliberately to sail away from it.
And once you understand that, sailing to windward stops looking like an awkward zigzag.
It starts looking like a plan.
My name is Philip. I started sailing when I was 65.
I joined a club and because my son had already been part of a club for many years - borrowing all types of boat. He knew what we needed and the type of boat I would require.
So we did by an RS Toura - a virtually unsinkable dinghy which has given me the confidence to experiment and learn and take my RYA exams and become a competent sailor and then to move up to the boat of my dreams - the A-Rater.
Coming Next
In the next part of our beginner sailing series, we can start looking at how to bring the boat safely back towards the shore, pontoon or mooring.
Because eventually every successful sailing trip needs one final skill:
stopping where you intended to stop.
Return to https://pmrsailing.uk/Lessons.html
