What is competitive sailing?
People often tell me sailing isn't a sport, or at least that they don't understand it. The purpose of this blog is to explain it.
There are 5 main disciplines of sailing which are known as Fleet racing, Handicap racing, Pursuit racing, Match racing and Team racing.
The first, fleet racing, is the racing done competitively by many sailors and is the type of racing done at the Olympics. In this form of racing everyone races each other around a course in the same boat.
Second, handicap, is the type of racing done at most local lakes - slightly less competitive generally. It is where boats of different speeds race each other and the time it takes them to finish the course is recorded and then put into a system that adjusts everyone's time so that faster boats are given a handicap. Eg. no matter how slow your boat you can still win the race if you sail well.
Thirdly, pursuit racing, is where the slowest boat sets off first then at specific intervals other faster boats set off. If everyone sailed perfectly then everyone would, in theory, finish at the exact same time. Of course, what actually ends up happening is at the end of the hour race the winner will be the person actually in first, the person who sailed their boat the best. So either a faster boat has caught the slower boat or the slower boat wins.
Penultimately, is match racing, this is basically 1vs1 racing, completed in the same boats. The person leading at the end of the course wins.
Finally, you have team racing, this is where two teams usually with three boats on either team ( a total of 6 boats on the course) race. The team that did the best overall wins that race. Say one team finished with 1st 2nd and 4th they would have a total of 7 points(1+2+4) less than the other teams 14 (3rd + 5th +6th) meaning the first team wins.
Scoring in sailing is usually done by giving the boat the number of points of your position. So first gets one point, second two etc. Person with the lowest points wins.
Now that you know what sailing racing is your probably still wondering how it is a sport. You might be thinking surly, at the end of the day, it is just who has the fastest boat. Or wondering how people actually go about being "faster".
Guide to one boat in Olympic sailing:
Well these races are not just typically in a straight line, you have to go around different marks or buoys in the water, meaning you have to go through all the different directions.
One way people gain positions is on a start. This is a skill that involves boat manoeuvring- using lean, sail trim and boat trim- to gain good positioning based on tactics and rules.
After the start in light winds overtaking is done by going to areas with more wind, and looking for the subtle signals of where it is going to be next. In stronger winds your speed is vastly increased by how well you keep the boat flat (flatter boat = faster boat) primarily this is done by adjusting the sail (a lot) which can become very physical, in addition to hiking out (using your bodyweight to counter act the force of the wind against the sail - allowing you to have more power without tipping over or capsizing.
When you get to the next part of the course (downwind) new sails are hoisted up in some boats. In most boats pumping is used to an extent downwind. This is where you utilise your bodyweight to move the sail, turning it into a sort of fan.
These two factors (pumping and hiking) is why sailing is and should continued to be considered a sport. And a highly physical one at that. Olympic, and any high level, sailors are extremely fit. They need large amounts of upper body muscle to adjust the sail, to keep it best optimised as they do, and to use as leverage.
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They also need to be extremely fit in terms of aerobic fitness. This is because races go on for over half an hour; they need to be fit enough to pump for entire legs of the course and be fit enough to hike out to inhumane levels for long periods of time - in addition the fitter you are the less heavy you need to be, as you can make up for your lack of weight by hiking harder, which is good because it means you go faster as your boat is lighter.
In each there can be elements of luck, such as the wind changing direction. The best sailors can predict this but for competitions there is a series of races (imagine you do a running race, then do it again and again. Eventually the best actual runner will be the one who has performed well constantly, demonstrating they did not get lucky). That is how most competitions work.
If you have been sailing once or twice, maybe more, or just been on holiday, try to come to your local club, sail for leisure, then maybe build up to racing. When you have to go out racing, in 30mph winds and do 4x 45minute long races then you will understand why sailing is not just a leisure activity, it is a sport, a test of fitness, of mental capacity and will to win.
How top sailors train: