Let's look at launching where the wind is blowing on shore. This is also sometimes called
a lee shore. In this situation when you face the water you should feel the wind blowing
onto your face, and it is also the hardest to launch from as the wind will always try
and blow you back ashore.
Position your boat on the beach on its trolley with the bow of the boat pointing towards
the wind. Rig the sails. Make sure the mainsheet is completely slack to allow the boom to flutter
in the wind, which keeps the sail loose with no power, and stops it from blowing off the
trolley accidentally. Also make sure the kicking strap is slack. Fit the rudder, and fit the
safety pin. Check all drainage bungs are in place to stop the buoyancy tanks from filling
with water as you sail along.
Next introduce the boat to the water, keeping the bow head to wind. This will keep the sails
flapping and make manoeuvring easy. Continue walking the boat into the water until it floats
off the trolley. Ask a friend to park your trolley ashore above the high water mark on
the beach.
To help keep you stable push the centreboard down, but only by a few inches to stop it
hitting the bottom when in shallow water. Push the rudder down a few inches to allow
the tip of the blade to make contact with the water. Grab the tiller and mainsheet and
now you're ready to go.
Keep a good look out to make sure your path is clear from other vessels and pay particular
attention to any swimmers or other water users in the immediate area. With the bow of the
boat pointing head to wind like this you will be in the centre of the no go zone and unable
to sail. To get sailing, push the bow of the boat out of the no go zone onto a close
reach point of sailing.
To understand more about this subject see our Points of Sailing video.
This sailing angle allows you to sail easily from the beach and avoids the possibility
of becoming stuck in the no go zone and being blown back ashore. The helm turns the boat
away from the no go zone then climbs aboard quickly grabbing the tiller and mainsheet.
Gently pull in the mainsail a little bit to get moving, but as the rudder isn't fully
down you should leave the beach slowly.
Once adequate depth has been reached release the mainsheet so that the sail flaps to stop
the boat, and lower the rudder blade fully. Then secure the downhaul rope to keep it in
position. Finally lower the centreboard to suit your point of sailing, pull the sail
back in and sail away.
Let's now look at this with a racing fleet. Here they are adopting the same procedure.
Boats are parked on trolleys with the nose or bow of the boat pointing into wind. The
sails are hoisted and the rudder fitted and bungs checked. The boats are led into the
water bow first and floated off the trolley. The trolley is then parked above the high
water mark. It is possible for one person to hold two boats in the water while the other
person parks both trolleys.
To help keep you stable push the centreboard down, but only by a few inches to stop it
hitting the bottom when in shallow water. Push the rudder down a few inches to allow
the tip of the blade to make contact with the water. The helm turns the boat away from
the no go zone and smartly hops into the boat, quickly grabbing the tiller and mainsheet.
Slowly sail away from the beach until deeper water is reached, where the centreboard and
rudder can be
fully lowered.