How to Get Ahead in a Sailing Race

Anyone who has watched a dinghy race from the bank of the River Thames might think the secret to winning is simple: sail faster than everyone else. If only it were that easy! In reality, getting ahead in a race often comes down to a collection of small decisions made well before the finish line comes into view.

As someone learning to sail later in life at the Upper Thames Sailing Club, I’ve discovered that racing is less about brute speed and more about positioning, awareness, and anticipation. The fastest boat doesn’t always win—but the sailor who thinks ahead usually does.

1. Win the Start (or at Least Don’t Lose It)

The start of a race is crucial. If you begin badly, you’ll spend the rest of the race fighting through wind shadows and disturbed water from the boats ahead.

A good start means:

• Crossing the start line at speed

• Crossing exactly as the starting signal goes

• Positioning yourself in clean wind

If you cross the line too early, you risk being called back. Too late, and you’re immediately chasing the fleet. The ideal situation is to reach the line on full speed just as the starting horn sounds.

On a narrow river like the Thames, this can feel like trying to park a car at speed in the last remaining space in a crowded car park!

2. Sail the Shortest Course

This sounds obvious, but in practice, it is easy to sail extra distance without realising it. Every unnecessary metre sailed is distance your competitors don’t have to cover.

Look ahead to the marks and ask yourself:

• Can I sail a straighter line?

• Am I tacking too often?

• Would a slightly longer tack give me cleaner wind?

Sometimes, sailing a slightly longer path in clear wind is actually faster than the shortest route stuck in dirty air behind another boat.

3. Keep Out of Dirty Air

When another boat is directly upwind of you, their sails disturb the wind. This is called dirty air, and it slows you down dramatically.

In a race, you constantly try to:

• Sail in clear wind

• Put other boats in your dirty air

On the river, this becomes even more tactical because the narrow waterway limits where boats can position themselves.

4. Watch the Wind

Wind rarely stays constant. Even on a calm-looking day, small gusts and shifts can make a big difference.

Good racers are constantly asking:

• Where is the next gust?

• Which side of the river has stronger wind?

• Is the wind shifting left or right?

Sailing into stronger winds first can give a significant advantage.

5. Think Several Moves Ahead

Racing is a bit like chess on water. The best sailors are already thinking about the next mark and the next manoeuvre long before they reach them.

Before every tack, gybe, or mark rounding, ask yourself:

• Where do I want to be in 30 seconds?

• What are the boats around me likely to do?

• How can I position myself for the next leg?

This is where experience really helps—but even beginners can start thinking this way.

6. Stay Calm When Things Go Wrong

And they will.

You might miss a gust, mistime a tack, or get stuck behind another boat. The key is not to panic. Many races are won simply because someone else makes a bigger mistake later on.

As one experienced sailor told me:

“The race isn’t over until you cross the finish line.”

Wise words.

Final Thoughts

Getting ahead in a sailing race is rarely about a single brilliant manoeuvre. Instead, it’s the result of many small good decisions:

• A well-timed start

• Sailing in clean wind

• Watching the gusts

• Thinking ahead

Put these together, and suddenly you find yourself not chasing the fleet—but leading it.

And that is a very satisfying place to be.

 Sailing on a River: Why It Can Be as Exciting as Sailing Anywhere Else

When many people think about sailing, their imagination immediately jumps to the open sea: wide horizons, ocean swells, and distant coastlines. But those of us who sail on rivers know a little secret — river sailing can be just as exciting, and sometimes even more challenging.

On a river like the Thames, you rarely sail in a straight line for very long. The river bends, the banks funnel the wind, and the surrounding trees and buildings play havoc with the airflow. One moment you have a perfect breeze; the next moment the wind disappears entirely, only to return from a slightly different direction. Learning to read these constantly changing wind patterns becomes a fascinating part of the sport.

The Art of the Short Tack

River sailors quickly become experts at tacking. On wide open water you might sail for minutes on a single tack, but on a narrow river you may tack every 20 or 30 seconds to keep moving in the right direction.

This constant manoeuvring keeps everyone busy. The helm must judge exactly when to tack, while the crew must handle the jib smoothly so the boat doesn’t lose speed. Get it wrong and you stop dead in the water — or worse, drift backwards with the current!

Wind Bends and Surprises

One of the most entertaining aspects of river sailing is the wind itself. Trees, houses, and riverbanks cause the wind to bend and swirl. Often the fastest route up the river is not the shortest one but the one that finds the strongest breeze.

Sometimes the wind shifts dramatically around a bend in the river. A boat that looked well ahead suddenly finds itself stalled, while another boat a few metres away catches a gust and surges forward. River racing often rewards sailors who keep their eyes open and are constantly adjusting their course.

Current Adds Another Dimension

Unlike many lakes, rivers also bring the added complication of current. The stream may be pushing you along or working against you depending on the direction of travel.

Experienced river sailors learn to use the current to their advantage. Close to the banks the water often moves more slowly, while the centre of the river may have a stronger flow. Choosing where to sail can make a surprising difference to your speed over the ground.

A Game of Chess on Water

River sailing often feels more like a game of chess than a straightforward race. You are constantly making decisions:

• Should I tack now or wait for the next gust?

• Should I hug the bank out of the current?

• Should I follow another boat that seems to have found better wind?

Every decision has consequences, and that’s what makes river sailing so addictive.

The Joy of Local Sailing

There is also something rather special about sailing close to home. On the Thames, for example, you are surrounded by beautiful countryside, wildlife, and historic villages. One minute you are racing hard upwind; the next you are quietly drifting past swans and willow trees.

For those learning to sail — as I am — river sailing provides a wonderful classroom. The constantly changing conditions teach boat handling, sail trim, and tactical thinking far faster than steady winds on open water.

So while ocean sailing may have the glamour, don’t underestimate the excitement of sailing on a river. It may be narrower, but the challenge is anything but small.

 

Why is Having a Burgee Important?

When learning to sail on a river like the Thames, one of the most useful bits of equipment on the boat is also one of the simplest — the burgee.

A burgee is a small flag or ribbon fixed near the top of the mast that shows the true wind direction. While it may look decorative, it is actually an essential sailing instrument.

Why a Burgee Matters

On open water the wind direction is often fairly consistent, but river sailing is very different. Trees, houses, river banks and bends in the river all disturb the wind. The wind may shift every few seconds.

Without a burgee you are often guessing where the wind is coming from.

With a burgee you can instantly see:

• The true direction of the wind

• When the wind shifts left or right

• Whether you are sailing too close to the wind

• The best moment to tack

For beginners especially, this simple visual cue makes steering the boat far easier.

Steering the Boat Correctly

When sailing upwind, the helm needs to keep the boat sailing as close to the wind as possible without stalling the sails.

The burgee helps you do this.

• If the burgee starts pointing towards you, you are steering too close to the wind and the sails may luff.

• If it streams straight back over the boat, you are on a good course.

• If it swings to one side, the wind has shifted and you may need to adjust your heading.

Experienced sailors constantly glance at the burgee while steering.

Spotting Wind Shifts on a River

On a narrow river course, wind shifts can make a huge difference.

A small shift in wind direction can suddenly make one side of the river faster than the other. Racing sailors watch the burgee carefully to decide when to tack.

Even when cruising, spotting these changes early makes sailing smoother and more efficient.

Cheap but Powerful

The beauty of a burgee is that it is simple and inexpensive.

Many sailors just tie:

• a short ribbon

• a strip of sailcloth

• or a small triangular flag

to the masthead.

Despite its simplicity, it gives the helm one of the most valuable pieces of information on the boat.

My Own Sailing Habit

On the Thames I find myself glancing at the burgee almost constantly. The wind bends around the trees and houses along the banks, and without it I would often be guessing.

Some sailors prefer to read the sails or the ripples on the water. But when learning — or when the wind is tricky — the burgee is the quickest way to see what the wind is really doing.

A small flag perhaps… but one that can make a big difference to your sailing.

 

Choosing the Right Sailing Jacket for Croatia in April

One of the things I quickly discovered while preparing for our sailing trip to Croatia in April is that choosing the right sailing jacket is not nearly as simple as it sounds.

At first I thought it would be easy. Walk into the Dinghy Show, try one on, hand over the credit card, job done. Unfortunately sailing jackets are a bit like boats — there are lots of choices, plenty of opinions, and everyone thinks theirs is the best.

So at the show I did what any sensible sailor would do. I tried on quite a few jackets, asked lots of questions, and listened carefully to people who clearly spend far more time getting soaked at sea than I do.

A number of sailors recommended Gill jackets, saying they were very waterproof, well made, and good value for money. Several people also mentioned that they hold up well when the weather turns unpleasant — which in the Adriatic in April is not impossible.

Another small detail that caught my eye this year was the colour range. Gill are producing jackets in gold and blue, which happen to be the colours of my company. That might sound like a trivial reason to choose a jacket, but if you’re filming sailing videos and taking photographs for a blog, a bright colour is actually quite useful. It also helps the safety boat spot you!

In the end I settled on the Gill OS2 Offshore Jacket in gold, which you can see in the photo above.

The jacket has several features that made it stand out:

• Highly waterproof and breathable fabric

• A high collar for protection against wind and spray

• Plenty of large pockets

• Adjustable cuffs to keep water out

• A bright colour that is easy to spot at sea

My thinking was simple. If we are out sailing in wind, rain and choppy seas for a day or two, the last thing I want is to be cold and wet. A good jacket won’t make you sail any faster — but it will certainly make the experience a lot more enjoyable.

Of course, I haven’t yet tested it in the Adriatic. That part of the experiment happens in April.

But if the weather does turn rough, I suspect I’ll be very glad I spent a little extra time choosing the right jacket.

And if nothing else, at least I’ll look suitably nautical in the photographs.

 

Knot of the Week: The Clove Hitch – quick to tie, handy to know

Some sailing knots are like old friends. Reliable, familiar, and always there when you need them. Others are more like that one club member who arrives early, helps for five minutes, and then quietly wanders off just when the real work begins.

The clove hitch sits somewhere in the middle.

It is one of the first knots many sailors learn, and for good reason. It is quick to tie, easy to adjust, and very useful for temporary fastening. If you want to secure a rope to a post, rail, stanchion, pontoon ring, or fender line in a hurry, the clove hitch is often the knot that comes to the rescue.

But like many things in sailing, it has its strengths and its limits. It is brilliant when used properly, but it is not a miracle worker.

What is a clove hitch?

A clove hitch is a simple knot used to attach a rope to a pole, spar, ring, or post. It is made from two turns crossing over each other, finishing with the working end tucked under the final turn.

It grips neatly, can be tied quickly, and is easy to untie after light loading. That makes it ideal when you need a knot that is fast rather than fancy.

It is the sort of knot that says, “That will do nicely for now.”

How to tie a clove hitch

There are several ways to tie it, but the simplest method around a post is this:

1. Pass the rope around the post.

2. Cross over the standing part and go round the post again.

3. Tuck the working end under the second turn.

4. Pull both ends to tighten.

If you are tying it in open space before dropping it over a post, you can make two loops, one turning clockwise and the other the same way, then place one over the other and drop them over the post. It feels slightly like performing a small magic trick when it works first time.

What is the clove hitch used for?

The clove hitch is most useful for temporary jobs where speed matters.

Common uses include:

• tying a fender line to a guardrail or rail

• securing a rope quickly to a post or pontoon

• starting lashings

• attaching a line temporarily while you sort something else out

• light mooring jobs where the load is steady and you are keeping an eye on it

On a dinghy or small sailing boat, it can be useful for quick attachments when rigging, tidying lines, or fastening gear in place.

It is also a good knot to know if you ever need to secure something in a hurry while launching, recovering, or sorting the boat ashore.

When not to trust it

This is where the clove hitch shows its character.

It is not the best knot for heavy or jerky loads, and it can slip if the rope or post is smooth, or if the load changes direction. In other words, it is excellent when things are calm, but not always the knot you would trust with your entire happiness on a windy day.

If the knot is going to be under strain for a long time, or if safety really matters, many sailors add an extra half hitch to make it more secure, or choose a different knot altogether.

So yes, the clove hitch is useful. No, it is not the answer to everything. Like a chocolate teapot, a summer waterproof, or a cheap trailer light board, it has its limits.

Why learn it anyway?

Because it teaches an important sailing lesson: the right knot for the right job.

The clove hitch is quick, tidy, and practical. It helps build confidence with rope handling, and it gives you another useful tool in your knot-tying toolkit. It is one of those knots that pops up again and again in boating, camping, scouting, and general life.

And let’s be honest, there is something deeply satisfying about tying a knot properly. It makes you feel competent, salty, and faintly nautical, even if you are only fastening something to a fence post in the dinghy park.

Final thought

The clove hitch is not the strongest knot and not the most secure knot, but it is certainly one of the handiest. Learn it, practise it, and understand where it works well.

Because in sailing, as in life, it is good to know which things are a permanent solution and which are just holding everything together until tea time.

 

Mounting a Wireless Masthead Anemometer – Because I Rarely Look Up at the Burgee

One thing I’ve discovered while learning to sail on the River Thames is that sailors are supposed to constantly glance up at the burgee or wind indicator at the top of the mast. Apparently this tells you everything about the wind direction and how well your sails are set.

There is just one small problem.

I rarely remember to look up, and we have a masthead float.

Instead, I tend to look where the boat is going, where the bank is, where the next buoy is, and occasionally where my helm is sitting to make sure we haven’t capsized yet. The result is that the burgee can flap around heroically above my head while I remain blissfully unaware of what it is trying to tell me.

So I started thinking about a slightly more tech-friendly solution.

The Idea

The plan is to mount a small wireless wind anemometer on top of the masthead float and place a digital display at the foot of the mast. That way, instead of craning my neck like an owl every few seconds, I can simply glance down and see:

• Wind speed

• Wind direction

• Gust changes

This is essentially bringing the sort of instruments you see on yachts down to a simple dinghy scale.

Why the Masthead?

The top of the mast is actually the best place to measure wind because:

• The airflow is cleaner and less disturbed by sails

• It represents the true wind direction more accurately

• The sensor is away from crew movement

In my case the masthead float provides a convenient mounting point and also helps keep the boat from turning turtle if we capsize — something that beginner sailors (like me) try quite hard to avoid.

Wireless Makes It Easy

Older systems required wires running down the mast, which is fine on a yacht but a nuisance on a dinghy that is regularly rigged and de-rigged.

Modern wireless sensors solve this problem:

• Sensor powered by small solar panel and battery

• Signal sent wirelessly to a cockpit display

• No cables to disconnect when lowering the mast

For a training boat like our RS Toura, simplicity is everything.

What It Helps With

Having a digital wind display is surprisingly useful for learning:

1️⃣ Understanding gusts
You start to see exactly when the wind jumps from 6 knots to 12 knots.

2️⃣ Sail trim learning
You can correlate boat speed and sail position with wind strength.

3️⃣ Teaching beginners
Instead of saying “it feels windy” you can say “we’re sailing in about 10 knots”.

It turns sailing from guesswork into something a bit more measurable and scientific — which appeals to the science teacher in me.

Will I Still Look at the Burgee?

Probably… No is the real answer - it will be a waste of time fitting one.

So until that good habit forms, having a digital wind display at eye level might just stop me sailing along happily while the burgee is desperately pointing the other way.

And if it encourages a few more data-driven sailors on the Thames, then the experiment will have been worth it.

 

Best Translator App to Use When Abroad

(It sounds odd for sailing… until the moment you enter a foreign port!)

Google Translate is one of those apps most sailors never think about packing… until the moment they tie up in a harbour where nobody speaks English.

When you’re sailing locally on the River Thames, life is easy. Everyone speaks the same language, and the most complicated conversation usually involves where the tea and biscuits are stored on the committee boat. But the moment you arrive in a foreign marina—perhaps in Croatia, Greece, or Italy—the situation can change rather quickly.

Suddenly you need to ask things like:

• “Where is the fuel pontoon?”

• “Is there space for a 14-metre yacht tonight?”

• “Where can we buy fresh water?”

• “Can we get electricity on the berth?”

That’s when a translation app becomes one of the most useful bits of kit on board.

Why Google Translate Works So Well

The reason many travellers rely on Google Translate is that it works in several very practical ways:

1️⃣ Text translation
Type a phrase and instantly show it in the local language.

2️⃣ Voice translation
Speak into the phone and let the app translate your question aloud.

3️⃣ Camera translation
Point the camera at a menu, noticeboard, or harbour instructions and the app translates the text instantly.

4️⃣ Offline language packs
Download the language before you travel so it works even when there is no mobile signal in the marina.

For sailors, that last point is particularly important—marinas and harbours don’t always have great internet connections.

Real Situations Where It Helps Sailors

Even if most harbourmasters speak some English, there are always moments when translation helps:

⚓ Understanding harbour rules
⚓ Reading weather notices
⚓ Ordering food in a harbour restaurant
⚓ Asking for spare parts or tools
⚓ Talking to local fishermen or boat owners

And sometimes it’s simply polite. Making the effort to speak a few words of the local language—even if your phone is helping you—often leads to much friendlier conversations.

My Plan for Croatia

As I prepare for my Competent Crew sailing trip in Croatia, this is one of the apps I will definitely have installed on my iPad and phone.

It may not seem like sailing equipment… but when you arrive in a harbour after a long passage and need to ask where to moor, it suddenly becomes one of the most useful tools on board.

And if nothing else, it may help ensure the most important question of the evening is understood perfectly:

“Where is the nearest restaurant?”