Tacking is a very important skill to master when sailing. in the video below you will learn the 6 steps you need for a perfect tack. There are many sailboats where tacking is a slow and time-consuming manoeuvre. In optimist sailing the tack is unbelievable quick. This makes the tack a very important technique to develop.
The tack is a very important skill for optimist racing because it gives you options. You can change course in a matter of seconds. And the best part is: If you master the tacking technique you won’t loose any speed during the tack. Optimist regattas normally host a few hundred sailors at once! This means the options on the racecourse for a clear lane without disturbing air are very small. By tacking you will be able to reposition yourself on the racecourse. In the video below you will find the 6 steps for a good tack in an optimist Check out our Premium videos, for more sailing technique videos
The best way to learn the roll tack in the optimist is to practice step by step. The tack has 6 different steps.
1. Grab your tiller extension at the end and grab your mainsheet low
2. Point slowly head to wind
3. Sit out late. Trim in tight and move your knees forward.
4. Duck the boom. Jump to the other side.
5. Open the mainsheet.
6. Switch your rudder and mainsheet hands and trim the sail back in.
When you start practicing it will be hard to execute all the steps together. Try to practice the tacks and focus on just 1 step at the time until you control the step. Then move to the next step and so on. It is very useful to watch example videos to copy the right technique. You can sign in at SportVid for free to find several example videos. Or check out the youtube channels of SportVid and Dinghycoach.
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