Introduction

Sailing is an exciting sport that can be enjoyed by all. There are many ways to get into sailing. Some people may want to experiment on their own after a few trips with an experienced sailor to give them the basic skills they need. Others may prefer to do a week-long 'get into sailing' course. In Canberra both the YMCA and the Canberra Yacht Club run these courses and they are available for both adults and kids. Branch Water Activities also runs courses for Scouts.

Sailing does not have to be a super expensive sport. There are plenty of reasonable second hand boats for sale under $1000. If you don't want to by a boat yourself you can join a sailing club and use their boats or crew for someone else. The other gear you need for summer sailing on the lake is a pair of shoes that can get wet, old clothes, sunhat and a life-jacket (An absolute Must). For colder days a woollen jumper and rain jacket are good.

Safety

Safety is about the reduction of risks. You cannot remove risk completely however there are some small things you should do that reduce the risks considerably. Sailing is not a dangerous sport if done properly.

• Before going sailing check the weather forecast and tell someone where you are going and when you intend to be back so that if you do get into trouble someone alerts the rescue services.
• Everyone aboard should be wearing a lifejacket. It doesn't matter how well you can swim if you get knocked out by the boom. Lifejackets in the boat are no good if you've fallen overboard.
• Wear appropriate clothing for the conditions. If it is cold, woollen jumpers and a spray jacket. If it is hot, plenty of sunscreen and a hat. Always wear shoes, there are many sharp objects hidden underwater.
• Ensure that your boat is well maintained and properly rigged.
• Keep in mind your limitations. Don't go out if you feel you can't manage the conditions.

Parts of a boat

The photos below show the main parts of the boat. Before shoving off for a sail it is useful to know the names of the main parts of the boat. This makes giving and understanding instructions on board easier once you get the hang of it. ("Pull that rope" can be a little ambiguous and very few skippers have the patience or cool to say " could you please pull on the rope that is attached to the back lower corner of the sail in the front of the boat" during the middle of a race. Although it may seem boring and stupid it is well worth learning the names of the main parts of a boat.

Ropework

The bowline is used for making a loop that will not slip.

The reef knot is the knot traditionally used to tie up a reef in a sail.

Figure of Eight knot.

This knot is used to stop the end of a rope slipping through a pulley or cleat.

Round Turn and Two Half Hitches

This knot is used to tie a rope to a pole. For example mooring

Points of Sailing

Sailing boats are driven by the wind and your sails should be adjusted in relation to the wind. A sailing boat cannot sail directly into the wind. If you sail too close to the wind your sails start to flap and the boat slows down. If you try to sail directly into the wind your boat will stop completely and then start going backwards. The diagram below shows the points of sailing, (the directions in which you can sail in relation to the wind) The right side of the circle, coloured red, shows boats on port tack (the wind is hitting the left, or port side of the boat first). The left hand side, coloured green, shows boats on starboard tack (the wind is hitting the right, or starboard side of the boat first. In general the further into the wind you point the more you should pull in the sails. Therefore when you are:

1. Close hauled your sails should be pulled on hard.
2. On a Beam Reach your sails should be about a 3rd of the way out.
3. On a Broad Reach your sails should be 2/3rds of the way out.
4. Running Dead your sails should be right out.
5. Head to wind you should not be head to wind !

Tacking and Gybing

As explained earlier, a boat cannot sail directly into the wind. This means that if you want to sail to a point dead upwind you have to sail a zigzag course to get there. To do this you will have to tack. Tacking is where the bow (front of the boat) passes through the wind. If you are sitting on the windward side of the boat (the side the wind hits first, or in other words opposite the boom) you push the tiller away from you to tack. Before tacking you should

1. Make sure everyone is ready.
2. Check all the ropes are free.
3. Make sure you're not tacking straight into another boat.

When you are ready to tack, push the tiller away from you, duck to get under the boom, move across to the other side and get ready to hike (lean out to balance the boat). In a two-person boat, the crew will need to release the jib and pull it across to the other side.
Note: the rudder will have no effect unless you are moving so in lighter winds you may need to bear away (sail further from the wind) slightly to get some speed before you tack.

Gybing is where the stern of the boat passes through the wind. It is more difficult than tacking because the boom comes across very quickly. Before Gybing you should

1. Make sure everyone is ready.
2. Check all the ropes are free.
3. Make sure you are not gybing straight into another boat.

When you are ready to gybe, duck and pull the tiller towards you. Then grab the boom and throw it across just before the wind does so. Then the boom will already be on the other side when the wind hits it and it will not suddenly crash across. This will help to make gybing a more controlled manoeuvre. You must move across the boat quicker in a gybe that a tack so as not to capsize. The crew changes the jib across as for a tack.

Capsizing and Man Overboard

Capsizing

Capsizing is something that happens to anyone who goes dinghy sailing more than a couple of times. Most small sailing dinghies are easy to capsize and easy to right. If you are worried about capsizing choose a day when there is not much wind, go out with someone who has done it before and give it a try. When you capsize you should

• Try to drop into the water between the boat and the boom. Don't hang onto the upper edge to try and keep dry you will only pull the boat right over. Try not to land on the sail.
• Check everyone is OK.
• The skipper swims round to the centreboard while the crew swims to the bow and holds the boat head to wind.
• The skipper pulls down on the centreboard or tries to climb onto it. Then moves along the centreboard away from the boat until the boat starts to come up.
• The skipper climbs in and then balances the boat for the crew.

If the boat has turtled (turned completely upside-down so the mast is pointing towards the bottom) the centreboard may have slipped down into the boat. In this case someone will have to dive under the boat and push it back up. Then the skipper should put his feet on the side of the boat, his hands as far up the centreboard as he can reach and lean back.

Note: never let go of the boat, even when swimming round to the centreboard. If it is windy the boat will drift much faster that you expect and quite probably faster than you can swim. If for some reason you cannot right your boat, stay with it. Don't swim away.

Man-overboard is another thing that should be practised before it occurs. Start with an empty water bottle or spare lifejacket. Do Not practice man-overboard with a crew member unless there is a powerboat standing by.