Here is a rough cut of some sailing video clips demonstrating the following skills:

Launching in an onshore wind
Laser sailing upwind with roll tacks
Laser sailing downwind with gybes
Recovering in an onshore wind

Laser 2000 sailing upwind
Laser 2000 sailing off-wind with spinnaker

The video does not show perfect sailing, instead it is good sailing which advanced coaching points can be brought out.  When the final cut is published I will also provide a commentary.

If you are interested in using Sailing as one of your GCSE PE sports here is a document that has the 2005 EDEXCEL specification and some questions for the students to answer.  This can be adapted for any board.  In the next few days I will post an AQA 2006/7 version based on the same document

If you are into sailing, or perhaps you want to get into sailing here is some stuff that I no longer need:

Ullmans Spinnaker for Lark, used in about 20 races, almost new £100

Europe sails made by Greens.  2 available, suitable for training/club racing.  Good condition £50 each.

Mirror Spinnaker, great condition, £50 ono.

Take a look at http://www.thelistings.co.uk/photos/forsale/ for some pics.

For more information e-mail forsale@thelistings.co.uk

The object is to improve the use and understanding of the rules.

Set out a box using 4 buoys, the size of the box is determined on the sailors skill level and types of boats being used.  The object is for each sailor to force the other boats out of the box.  Every time they manage this they gain 1 point.  They are not allowed to keep 'hunting' the same boat repeatedly.  For an extra challenge anchor the coach boat in the centre of the square thus creating an obstruction, it also gives you the ability to act as a judge and get the sailors to come alongside for a debrief.

This is a variation on the team race exercise 'Piggy'.

The object is for a leeward boat to get ahead or into a controlling position of the windward boat.
The easiest way is to run this upwind towards a mark.  The boats lie to with masts level and as close together as possible, on the shout of 'GO' they both harden up and the competition begins.  The leeward boat can use any known tactics to get ahead which can include rules, gybing, creating space between the boats to enable a tack or even slowing down to enable a tack.
As soon as the leeward boat gains the advantage or the windward boat sails away reset the boats and start again.
This can be done with different types of boats if the sailors are of a lower skill but both helms need to be evenly matched in terms of boat speed and upwind sailing skills.
If the sailors are more advanced then this can also be tried sailing downwind between 2 marks but more knowledge about match racing rules and mark rounding needs to be known.

The photos from the first race on Sunday 11th June can be found at http://www.thelistings.co.uk/photos/130606/ including pictures of the Jubilee Lunch.  If anyone wants full resolution copies then drop me an e-mail.  Many thanks to those who helped to make it a successful weekend.  This Saturday (17th June) there is a Match Racing event at the club including training for all members Under 18.  The training starts at 11am and racing at 1.30pm, lunch is provided around 12.30pm.  Entrance costs £5.

Well if you ever wanted to find out what it is like sailing single-handed across the Atlantic or perhaps around the world without getting we then perhaps this might be the option for you.  Lia Ditton can be watched on her webcam 'sailing' single-handed at www.1woman1boat.com

New to www.thelistings.co.uk are a set of photos from last nights Under 18's club at Black Swan Sailing Club.

One of the sessions that we ran was Efficient Upwind Tacking, the key points to an efficient tack are:
1. Ensure that you are sailing close-hauled sitting as far forwards in the boat as possible
2. Initiate the tack with some rudder and hike out to start the boat rolling to windward
3. As the windward deck touches the water and the sail crosses the centre line, stand up, keeping the windward deck in the water and release an arm's length of main-sheet
4. Once the boat is pointing in the new direction hike out hard on the new side, sitting well forwards, sheet in and steer the boat straight
5. Swap hands and check you are sailing on a close hauled course

Now go and practise.

Well, we attempted the race in a Hurley 30.  Unfortunately we were in the day glow green fleet that started last which already put us to a disadvantage with tides and then our start was delayed a further 40 minutes due to 2 ships.  Needless to say we did not make it round along with the other 850 boats that didn't finish.  Our gripe is the same as many other of the cruiser racers that we should get the starts that give us the tide advantage, the bigger faster boats should wait.
Here ends the grip.  Here however are some photos that were taken pre-start and on our way towards Hurst Castle.  The pic of the windex looks odd because we were invaded by a swarm of bees that decided to take a rest at the top of our mast. http://www.thelistings.co.uk/photos/040606/

If you need any weather synoptic charts then this German site has a number of different formats, all you need to know is a little German!

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/topkarten/fsfaxbra.html

This saves you having to trawl through the noaa ftp site (htpp://weather.noaa.gov/fax)

If you want to find out about weather in Wokingham past and present then take a look at http://www.btinternet.com/~wokingham.weather/wwp.html this site also has a huge number of weather related links

Live weather from the stations around the solent can be found at:
http://www.sotonmet.co.uk/default.shtm and http://www.bramblemet.co.uk/default.shtm

Then the site which is used by sailing enthusiats of all sports www.winguru.cz