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in this training video you'll learn the
basic steps of how to tack a two-handed
dinghy tacking allows you to turn the
boat around
by turning across the wind this video
concentrates on sailing towards the wind
on the close hauled point of sailing if
you want to sail towards the wind you
must be able to tack the boat you'll be
unable to point your boat directly into
the wind as the sails won't work the
sails only start to work if you remain
outside a zone which is 45 degrees
either side of where the wind is blowing
from the area marked in grey is called
the no-go zone and the point of sailing
you need to establish is called close
hauled here both sails have pulled in
hard and then not flapping and by
probing with the tiller to find the
point where the sail just starts to flap
you're on the edge of the no go zone
each tack takes the nose of the boat
from one side of the no-go zone through
the eye of the wind and out onto the
edge of the no go zone on the other side
progressive tax allow you to zigzag your
way towards your destination upwind and
together a series of tax is called
beating it's a good idea to first
practice on dry land to get a feel for
the manoeuvre place some old tires under
the back of the boat to support your
weight and climbing no need to have the
sail hoisted try please have rope around
the mat to hold the boom up high and ask
a friend to mimic the wind by pushing
the boom backwards and forwards across
the boat the first step is to take a
good look around and check the area is
all clear assuming it is you should next
out ready about once you've received all
clear from the crew prepare to lead with
your back foot to ensure you face
forwards throughout the manoeuvre and
release a bit of mainsheet this will
slow you down and make it easier to duck
under the boom next you should shout Lee
ho and push the tiller gently towards
the sail try to push the tiller from the
very end of the tiller extension like
this as it'll make things easier later
on ask your friends to push the boom
across and then you duck under the boom
and move across to the new side of the
boat and sit down as far forward as you
can with the tiller extension behind
your back straighten the tiller next you
should swap hands taking the hand
holding the mainsheet back to the tiller
extension grab it with your thumb
pointing towards the end of the
extension like this you should then
release the tiller extension from behind
your back and rotate it under your arm
and grab the mainsheet with your front
hand resume the dagger grip once more
and you're now ready to pull the sails
in again
having perfected your land drill
technique let's go a float establish
yourself on the close hauled point of
sailing both sails should be pulled in
tight and the front edge of the head
sail is not flapping by using the tiller
gently probe the edge of the no go zone
until you're happy you found this point
the tiller extension is in the dagger
grip in front of your body and the
mainsheet is in your front hand like
this the whole manoeuvre will take you
through about 90 degrees and you'll end
up sailing towards a point but somewhere
behind your back it's worth taking a
quick look to identify a new target this
will help to stop you becoming
disorientated when you're moving about
in the boat the helmsman should also
look to check the immediate area as
clear and if it is then shouts ready
about if it's not clear then wait until
it is the crew then double checks the
area and frees the jib sheet from any
jam cleat and keeps hold of the rope and
replies all clear
next shout Lee ho prepare to step across
the boat leading with your back foot
release about 1 metre of mainsheet to
slow you down and make it easier to get
under the boom and gently push the
tiller away from you towards the boom
the boat will immediately start to turn
as the boom moves across the crew
releases their sail and both of you duck
under the boom and step across the boat
don't worry if the sail flaps noisily
here this is normal sit down on the new
side as far forward as you can and
straighten the tiller from behind your
back next you should swap hands by
taking the hand holding the mainsheet to
the tiller extension like this and then
let go of the tiller extension from
behind your back and rotate it under
your arm and position it back in front
of your body grab the mainsheet with
your front hand resuming the dagger grip
once more pull both sails in tight once
more and look for the point where the
jib doesn't flap now you're on the end
of the no go zone once more
let's look again going the other way
sailing along the close hauled point of
sailing with both sails pulled in tight
probe the rudder to find the edge of the
no go zone look around to identify a new
target point and check that the area is
clear from any obstructions and shout
ready about the crew double checks the
area is clear frees the jib sheet from
the jam cleat but keeps hold of the rope
and then replies all clear the helmsman
then prepares to step across the boat
leading with his back foot and shouts
Lee ho releasing about one metre of
mainsheet gently push the tiller towards
the boom as the boat turns the crew
releases their rope and both of you move
across back foot first once the boom has
moved across and the boat has turned out
of the no go zone on the new side sit
down
straighten the tiller behind your back
and then swap hands and resume the
dagger grip once more like this pull in
both sails and look to find the edge of
the no go zone once more until the front
edge of the head sail doesn't flap let's
take a bird's-eye view look around ready
about all clear
Lee ho push step duck straighten sit
swap dagger grip pull in
common mistakes if you plan to sail
towards the wind then you must start the
manoeuvre from the close hauled point of
sailing like this to allow you to sail
towards the wind in a series of steps if
you're not you'll not make any headway
towards the wind you'll simply go
backwards and forwards along the same
line so ensure that you're sailing
close-hauled if you push the tiller hard
too quickly there's a risk you'll turn
the boat too quickly and you may not be
able to get across the boat in time
before you capsize failure to straighten
the rudder after the manoeuvre will
allow the boat to continue to turn and
you could well end up doing a complete
360 degree turn forgetting to duck well
it hurts you may consider wearing a hard
hat similar to a canoeist helmet
this is particularly advisable for
children straightening the rudder too
soon when you're still in the no-go zone
this will stop the boat with no drive in
the sail and you'll find yourself
completely stuck in irons watch our
first sail video to see how to deal with
this situation key learning points
tacking allows you to turn the boat
around by turning across the wind a
series of tax is called beating and
allows you to sail towards the wind the
wind has a zone about 45 degrees either
side of where it's blowing from that you
can't sail this is called the no go zone
when sailing towards the wind you should
be sailing on a close hauled point of
sailing with the sails pulled in hard
and not flapping before tacking you
should be sailing as close as possible
to the no-go zone small tiller movements
not large ones identify a new target
destination before you start your tack
to stop you getting disorientated check
the area is clear from obstructions only
tack if it is clear good communications
between helm and crew is vital
effective grip and hand swapping
techniques with the tiller and control
sheet is one of the key factors to
successful tacking release a bit of
mainsheet before you tack to slow the
boat down and make it easier to get
under the boom lead with your back foot
to ensure that you face forward
throughout the manoeuvre duck under the
boom to move on to the new side
straighten the tiller and then swap
hands and resume the dagger grip once
more pull both sails back in tight find
the close hauled point of sailing once
more next steps watch this video as many
times as necessary in order to
understand how to tack you can also use
the scripts and glossary that accompany
this video to help you then it's down to
practicing on dry land first to try out
the steps and then out on the water
first time out avoid winds greater than
about 12 miles an hour so that you can
get the maneuver at a manageable speed
practice sailing as close to the no-go
zone as you can until the front edge of
the head sail doesn't flap and then
start tacking keep tacking from one side
of the no-go zone to the other until you
feel comfortable with all the steps
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