Two boats cross the start line together. Same speed. Same time.
Yet one may already be nearly 9 metres ahead!
How?
@philipmrussell.bsky.social
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialTwo boats cross the start line together. Same speed. Same time.
Yet one may already be nearly 9 metres ahead!
How?
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialYour first season teaches you to control a sailing boat.
The boat hasn't changed.
The sailor has.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialFive minutes before a sailing race starts, everyone appears to be sailing the wrong way.
They're not.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialYour first sailing race isn't about winning.
Try five things instead:
Start cleanly.
Keep clear.
Sail the correct course.
Avoid unnecessary manoeuvres.
Finish.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialSpeed versus pointing — one of sailing's great counter-intuitive lessons. Sometimes bearing away just a few degrees gets you to the mark sooner.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialThe fastest sail adjustment may be only 2 cm.
Good sailors don't wait until the boat heels, the tell-tales collapse or the sail flaps. They make tiny corrections continuously.
pmrsailing.blogspot.com/2026/09/why-...
#LearnToSail
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialTwo boats. Same sails. Same wind.
One simply sails away.
Why?
Because sail trim is not “pull it in until it looks right”.
pmrsailing.blogspot.com/2026/09/sail...
#Sailing #SailTrim #SailingSkills #DinghySailing #LearnToSail
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialThe tiller is constantly telling you whether the boat is balanced.
If it suddenly becomes heavy, the answer may not be more rudder. The boat could be telling you about heel, sail trim or poor balance.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialA gust hits.
Do you:
ease the mainsheet?
hike harder?
steer into the wind?
The answer may be all three — but often by surprisingly small amounts.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialA gust arrives and the sailing boat suddenly heels.
What should the helm do?
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialThe Gust Is Coming — What Should You Do Before It Arrives?
Good sailors react to gusts. Better sailors are ready before the gust arrives.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialNew on pmrsailing.uk/sailing-less... Stop Staring at Your Sails — Learn to Read the Water
The next gust may already be visible fifty metres ahead of you.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialA ten-degree wind shift can be worth tens of metres — without your boat travelling any faster.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialWhat turns someone who can sail into a good sailor?
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialWhich is the best boat to learn to sail in?
The best beginner boat is the one your club has available, with someone competent beside you.
@marineverse.bsky.socialPull harder. Go slower. Why? ⛵😅
Pulling the sail in too far can slow you down.
Practise sail trim at home-no water required - in VR!
What confused you most when learning to sail?
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialSome of the most skilled sailors aboard a sailboat aren't holding the tiller.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialSailing Knots: Start with five:
Figure-eight
Bowline
Sheet bend
Round turn & two half hitches
Cleat hitch
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialFirst sail → crewing → coaching → independent sailing → racing → spinnakers, trapezes, yachts, traditional boats… perhaps even an A-Rater.
@philipmrussell.bsky.socialThere is a moment when learning to sail suddenly changes.
You stop thinking only about the tiller,
…and start asking:
Where should I actually sail?
