Sailing maneuvers

Maneuvers

Why buy a sailboat rather than a motorboat? Beyond the absence of noise, all the charm of our winged mounts lies in the art of maneuvering them. This very ancient heritage connects us to human history and synthesizes centuries of evolution in the mastery of the sea.

For those who live them, gestures as well as nautical terms are more valuable than books, since they truly take shape only through action. Maneuvers therefore carry a nobility equal to the humility they impose in the face of natural constraints, an essential contribution to the beauty of sailing. That is why, no doubt, a successful maneuver always commands respect.

Of course, maneuvers have become simpler over the course of history.

In the days of sailing ships, it took several years to train an accomplished sailor capable of finding his way through these monuments of ropes and sails with names stranger than the next. In the 18th century, a frigate such as Hermione required an hour and a half of work by about thirty men to perform a simple tack. Everything was therefore slower, but also more dangerous, as the slightest mistake involved enormous risks for navigation. A failed tack could drive a ship onto the coast along with its crew and its cargo. The sum of these stakes imposed perfect coordination, iron discipline, and complete mastery on the part of officers and boatswains.

In the 19th century, sailors working nearly fifty meters above sea level on clippers racing at full speed through the swell of high latitudes faced certain death in the event of a mistake. Coastal working boats also carried their share of risks for sailors who often had to steer with tackles and maneuver several dozen square meters of sails using only a few rudimentary blocks. A particularly exhausting task added to the hardships of fishing in regularly hostile conditions...

In the 20th century, the development of recreational boating encouraged designers to equip boats with so-called “Marconi” rigs, named after the inventor of the masts from which the first radio waves were transmitted. These masts, stayed with cables, grew taller and were fitted with triangular sails inspired by the Bermudian sailboats of the 17th century. Boats thus benefited from an improved power-to-weight ratio to move in light airs, while gaining precious degrees when beating to windward. Above all, the Marconi rig simplified maneuvering. It meant fewer spars (types of yards) to handle, fewer ropes and therefore less work. Maneuvering time was reduced accordingly, perfectly matching the spirit of recreational sailing.


Over the years, the influence of competitive sailing has enhanced the sail wardrobes of recreational boats with sails such as spinnakers, then asymmetric spinnakers, gennakers and other “Code 0s”. Enough to satisfy our desire to maneuver, with ever greater performance as the reward.

See our different training courses.

Gybe

Today, the most feared basic maneuver among recreational sailors is undoubtedly the gybe. It allows the boat to change tack with the wind from astern.

Drawback: the boom (the horizontal spar at the base of the mainsail) tends to sweep across the deck violently, or even very violently, if its movement is not properly controlled.

From moderate winds onward, an uncontrolled gybe can cause serious material and human damage. It is a fairly simple maneuver and easy to perform... provided you keep your eyes open.

Harbor maneuvers

Simply changing direction on a sailboat involves all kinds of maneuvers that must be known by heart. But before hoisting the sails, the lines must first be cast off.

It is during harbor maneuvers that the majority of collisions occur. Not so surprising, since they involve making turns and handling of all kinds in a confined space where traffic is often disrupted by wind, current, and sometimes heavy traffic...

Tacking

The opposite of a gybe, tacking consists of changing tack by heading into the wind.

A maneuver that is much more forgiving for the absent-minded, who, if they have their head in the clouds, are more likely to keep it on their shoulders. Nevertheless, its sequence must be remembered in order to move efficiently on the water.