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Be the Wind Behind Your Sails- Eliminate Your Self-Limiting Beliefs
“Believe deep down in your heart that you are destined to do great things.”
Joe Paterno
Imagine that you are a beautiful sail boat on the high sea of life, and the gusting wind is the way in which you talk to yourself. Will your wind be behind...
Entangled in the World Wide Web
I am just a learner who likes to delve in websites as a hobby. Hobbies are what make life so enjoyable for me. I have tried many other things - watercolor and pastel painting, organic gardening, kayak making, dinghy sailing, kite making, origami,...
It's Raining this Morning
It’s raining! I woke up this morning and it was raining, not a startling fact in itself but for a brief instant my life flashed up strong as if viewable on a giant TV screen on the ceiling above my head! It’s raining, it’s 7.30am, my wife and baby...
Visit Buena Park California
Buena Park, California, just under seven (7) miles down the freeway from Disneyland in Anaheim, is a city of 80,000 plus people and is a tourist attraction city that is overlooked by many tourists. This city is home to Knotts Berry Farm, "With...
Why Does Santa Bring Gifts?
The history of Christmas and in particular the reasons for the giving of gifts are not known for certain, but several things are known for a fact. The traditions of Santa Claus and giving presents at Christmas time began long before the birth of...
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Sailing Theory, Sailing Terms and Weather
Sailing Theory
The sum of all wind pressure on the sail is called wind force. The center of that force, which is above the
water, is called the center of effort (CE). The center of the force below the surface of the water is calledthe center of lateral resistance (CLR). This is the point where all the boat's
resistance to sideways pressure is concentrated. A boat performs best when the two forces are in balance. This is when they are positioned one over the other in a vertical line through the
boat's sail and hull. Your job as a sailor is to keep these two forces in proper balance so that your boat will sail correctly. You keep the boat balanced by shifting your weight and adjusting your sail.
Your boat has weather helm when you have to constantly pull the tiller towards you to keep the boat straight on course. Lee helm is when you do the opposite; pushing the tiller towards the
sail. Most boats are designed to have a little weather helm. However, too much of it can make sailing difficult in anything other than light breezes. If your boat has a lot of weather helm, it means the CE and the CLR are not in alignment.There is more sail pressure aft of the CLR than forward of it.
To correct the balance,
1. Shift your weight aft (back towards
the stern).
2. Pull up the centerboard.
3. If your boat has a jib, ease (let out) the mainsail.
4. Try any combination of these.
Weather- The Sea Breeze
As a sailor you should know about local winds. The cause of these winds is difference in temperature; cold air is heavier than warm air. The most popular of these local winds is the sea
breeze. Warm air over the land rises...And is replaced by cooler air sinking over the ocean. At night the opposite happens. The land quickly loses its heat at night and oftenfalls to a lower temperature than the water. This results in a light offshore evening wind. On a lake or river,
the warm air can rise at the edges to be replaced by the cool air over the water. This can result in a nice breeze for sailing.
Forcast for a Typical Sea Breeze Day: Morning Very Light Winds
-No Weather Systems Near -Clear Sky -High Temperatures But Cooler Near the Shore
Afternoon: Wind coming from water starting Midday -Cumulus
Clouds over land -Clear over water- Winds Speeds 8 - 12 knots
Evening: Winds Decreasing as sun slips over horizon.
Sailing Terms
Amidships- the middle of the boat.
Backwind- the wind flowing off the sail.
Close Hauled- one of the points of sail; sailing as close to the
wind as possible.
Dead Astern- straight behind
Flaking- Folding the sail.
Glide Zone- the distance it take a boat to stop after turningb head to wind.
Heave To- to head the boat into the wind in order to slow it down or stop it.
About the Author
Linda Cullum is from Cape Cod, MA, with a second home in Vermont. She is the author of Learn to Sail! with Multimedia! an Interactive Sailing training CDROM which teaches all aspects of Sailing incliding
Knots, Piloting, Rules of the Road, Weather with digital video from Sail Magazine, narration, animation and quizzes. Visit her site at http://learntosail.net
Wishing you the best in your sailing endeavors!
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