Sailing Drills...

Why have sailing drills?

When we sail a boat, we need to do at least 11 or more things simultaneously. So, a beginning sailor (especially the skipper) typically gets yelled at "Pull the fumbledygumble" or "Straighten your mapperfrapper" and a constant stream of similar nonsense.

When we have sailing drill, we practice ONE specific task; and we do it all together so the student not only gets feedback on their own skill but also sees examples of how to do it (or how not to, in some cases). For now, just for the drill, ignore the mapperfrapper & fumbledygumble. We'll work on those things later!


"Baby Ducks"
The basic of basics... usually this will be the first sailing exercise

No buoys, this drill is entirely dependent on the coach boat following a good course for the beginner students.

With the "Baby Duck" drills, the student only has to practice ONE skill at a time. Ignore sail trim, point of sail, balance, navigation, right-of-way, etc etc etc. Well, it helps if the crew trims the jib somewhat-properly. But all they have to do is steer & follow the others.

Skipper should focus on steering the boat steadily & accurately. The goal is to acquire a “feel” for the tiller. The boat will not go straight just because you are holding the tiller straight!

Notice that the students still have to TACK (turning the boat so that the wind crosses the bow, and comes on the other side). This is not difficult but they should at least know what's coming. They should also observe for themselves that the boat cannot sail straight into the wind!

While tacking, the student skipper(s) can practice shifting sides with the mainsheet & tiller extension. The crews practice keeping the boat from heeling by shifting their weight & trimming sails, and of course keeping lookout.



Here is where the "Baby Duck" drills really pay off. The instructor controls when the students GYBE their boats for the first few times.

The student skippers & crew practice moving & trimming sail together; work on anticipating the gybe. All should be smooth & coordinated. Watch for the jib to lose wind, this is when the crew begins to shift the jib sheet & can then help the skipper bring the main across.



Once the students can steer, and keep the boat under control (or at least fake it) thru the basci maneuvers, it is time to add to their skills. The "Baby Duck" can be used to reinforce learning the basic points of sail.

In this diagram (left) we see one boat hasn't quite got the hang of "CLOSE-HAULED" yet.

There are other, later drills which will emphasize sailing to windward, but this will get us started.




And of course, once we have sailed upwind for a while, we will need to turn & go downwind... this is also a basic skill that needs practice



Students who demonstrate they are fully in control of their boats through-out the various "Baby Duck" drills are good candidates to move up to advanced practice.




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Docking... when stopping is more important than speed...

Once we get pretty good at "baby ducks" then the next step is learning to stop the boat. A sailboat will never really stop & stay in one place; it is always under the influence of wind & current (this is why the anchor is an important piece of safety equipment) BUT we must be able bring the boat in... just like pilots must learn to land an airplane... in order to go out.

If you can't STOP you are not in control!
Stopping Without Brakes (just sails) (link)

One way to stop & park is to simply turn the boat directly upwind. The sails will flap, the boat will coast to a stop. A problem: as the boat slows down, the rudder loses effectiveness... you can't steer!

Pointing the bow into the wind will bring the boat to a stop (right).

Another problem: you need an open & safe area to windward for the boat to 'coast' on it's momentum.

Another problem: you can never be exactly sure where the boat will stop... in light air, there is less drag on the sails, and it may 'coast' a surprisingly long way. In strong wind, the boat is going faster under full sail, but the drag on the sails & rig is much stronger and slows the boat's progress much more... it goes faster but doesn't 'coast' as far.


When beginner skippers are practicing DOCKING it is common to see them misjudge the momentum of the boat, either coming in too fast or stopping too soon and being unable to reach. This is why it takes practice!


With a coach boat anchored, students make their docking approaches in open water, coming up to a nice soft inflatable "dock."



This way we gain the skill to make perfect landings under a wide variety of conditions... this will enable us to SAIL in a wide variety of conditions!

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"The Clock"
This is actually several drills which be expanded from a basic exercise/drill to advanced racing games.


The buoys are set in a big circle; in the BASIC exercise, the students simply sail to & past each one. This takes them onto every point of sail, and obviously they will have to tack & gybe on their way round the "clock."

This is a good reinforcement for students who can steer the boat and are beginning to learn how to set the sails for each "point of sail."

If any student shows a tendency to sail of into the distance, the coach can give him the challenge of sailing close to each buoy on his way around the circle, and having the crew touch each one. No going back if you miss!




Like any good exercise, "The Clock" can be built on. The next step is for the coach to set the students a goal from buoy to buoy, so that he can send them on any chosen point of sail.



This really helps the students learn to control the boat, moving it towards a goal & maneuver it effectively. It also reinforces the points of sail.



The bouy colors should be alternated so the students have a good opportunity to observe the wind direction & stay oriented thru a series of maneuvers. We sometimes use a single BIG YELLOW ball as the windward-most buoy.






Going a little further with "The Clock" family of drills: This is one of the few which involve racing... actually it's not like real sailboat racing, it's more of a scramble, but it reinforces previous lessons about points of sail, maneuvering, Right-Of-Way (almost everything, in fact) plus it's really fun!






This drill is for advanced students who know all the points of sail, the maneuvers between each one, and are familiar with the Right-Of-Way rules.









As with the other "Clock Drills" the buoys are set in a big circle.

The idea of "Racing The Clock" is that all the boats have to be kept under control within a small area... close-quarters maneuvering, in other words. The students also have all the variables of real-world sailing to contend with... the wind-shadow of the other boats, making maneuvers around buoys & other boats, and of course keeping the boat moving towards a given goal.

The game is played by having the coach, or the skipper who is leading at a given mark (buoy), call out the next buoy. It can be any buoy in the clock, but the call has to be made as soon as it can be determined who the leader is (or the coach makes the call).










When a boat has kept the lead position around 3 or more buoys, that boat is either given a 720 penalty, or simply told the circle around to the back of the fleet.

Often the best sailors will be able to work their way thru the pack, and reclaim the lead; but it is good practice for them to do so. This also adds to the fun, since every boat should get a chance to be in the lead at some point during the drill.








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Sailing to Windward... we will lead the 'Baby Ducks' on a close-hauled course and expect the students to recognize this (and every other) POINT OF SAIL, and also practice TACKING, before starting on more advanced drills. Here are two advanced drills to work on the skills of sailing to windward

The Pipeline (link)


"The Cone"
This is a popular exercise for racing teams.


It's called "The Cone" because of the cone-like area which the students have to stay in. This drill is for students who have learned the basics of sailing upwind.



The coach boat goes straight upwind (not too fast, please), the students sail back & forth independently. It's good practice tacking, helps learn to judge the layline, puts the Right-Of-Way rules into effect, and it's a little more fun that the plain-vanilla 'Baby Ducks' drill.








In this 2nd diagram, we see "The Cone" in action.

Boat A is tacking ot stay in the cone, she is on the layline to the coachboat.

Boat B needs to tack immediately, she is about to sail out of the cone.

Boat C is on Port Tack and will need to be careful of B after B tacks.

Boat D needs to work on sailing upwind a little faster!

Similar to 'The Cone' is a tacking drill, where all students sail upwind and all tack at signal (whistle) from the coach.