Sailing Downwind in Light Air

Here are a few tip to help get you to the leeward mark in light air.

Keep your speed up. We had to sail very high apparent wind angles to keep the boat moving. We would head up, get some speed and use that speed to head down towards the mark. In the lightest of air we could only bear off five to ten degrees or we would risk collapsing the spinnaker. Constant communication between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer regarding sail sheet pressure was critical to finding the best sailing angle.

Play the wind shifts. In lighter air you can get so involved in keeping the boat moving that your loose track of tactics and fail to take advantage of the oscillating breeze. By keeping track of compass headings and our competition, we were not just trying to survive the leg, we actually managed to attack the boats ahead.

Get a huge lane. In very light air it is extremely important to avoid the wind shadows of other boats. By staying clear of boats behind we could find “lanes’ of clear air and stronger wind pressure to sail closer to the mark in. Before rounding the windward mark, we would determine the headed gybe and sail that to clear air. Some times that meant sailing a little higher than our optimum downwind heading to protect our position or to find our lane. Maintaining speed was the biggest priority.

Gybe smoothly from tight reaching heading to tight reaching heading. In order to have enough speed in very light air to complete a gybe, we would have to head up very high to build speed. When we achieved maximum speed and apparent wind then we would head the boat slowly downwind and rotate the spinnaker around the rig. Soon as the spinnaker pole was attached to the mast on the new gybe, we would head the boat right back up to the highest reaching angle. When we reached maximum speed, we then would bear the boat off to best angle to the mark. Although, it was not the straightest course you could sail, it worked well because we could come out of the gybe with out loosing to much speed. The rudder works like a brake, so smooth, gentle turning and patience was the call for all maneuvers.

Sailing downwind in very light air takes a lot of concentration, a good understanding of apparent wind and some patience. Going fast, realizing shifts and keeping your air clear plays an important role in sailing a successful leg. With the right approach huge gains can be made down wind in very light conditions.

Maine Sailing Partners
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