30' Sailboat Racing

Article Written By: DouglasMalat

I always thought you can't do much with a 30 sailboat but sail around the bays, with an occasional hop to a not so far away harbor. I was wrong.

I found racing sailing in my area and it gave me purpose on the weekends. I got friends for crew and set-off to win one. Some sailboat races are around buoys, some around islands, but in either case you have to know your tides and winds. These are your main concerns, because with tides you want to know where it runs strong and also light.

At times, you'll find yourself up against the tide. Then you'll want to find the lighter side of the tide. When the tide is with you, you'll want to find the strongest part to give you a boost in speed. The same goes for the winds. Closer to shore, the warm land generates winds that blow onshore. It's better to ride with them than to sail in the middle of the bay where the winds are not as strong. A mere 3 knots difference can be all you need to beat out your competitors.

When I first started racing, the more experienced racers stole a trophy from me many times. One time, we had a close call pulling past the last buoy to the finish line when a sailboat turned away to find stronger winds and quickly zipped past us. Over time, you learn more and more about racing; where to pick up extra speed and how to put your sails to work for you. My racing days were both exciting and frustrating. Races lasted a few hours to a few days. Always a challenge.

I've taken my 30 sailboat through some races with very high wind conditions. They might not start that way, but I've been in some wild ones where crew on other sailboats had to have helicopters remove them for broken bones and other various things. I have been on a race and won a trophy for third for actually drifting the best during the race; there was no wind for 2 hours and for some reason the current grabbed me better, thanks to my deep keel or wide beam. I was certainly happy to take third place! So the more I raced, the more familiar I became with different wind and sea conditions. Where my 30 sailboat rode the best, pulling top speeds without heavy effort on the crew or the boat! You get to feel that groove where you are ripping yet comfortable. It's a combination of your boat's best point of sail, with a mix of using the sailboat's lines and characteristics to its advantage.

About the Author

Captain Douglas Malat is a co-creator of YachtAuthority.com, a website where you will find great selections of racing sailboats for sale in your area.

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This Article Has Been Published on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 and Read 309 Times

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