Top Tips for Leeward Mark Perfection

by Graham Curran, UK Sailmakers Ireland
We all know sailing fast in a straight line is very important. That is where, as sailmakers, our products shine and our technical background can be leveraged for your benefit. But races are won and lost at the corners.

You can be the fastest boat on the water but if your critical manoeuvres are not dialed in, then one bad hoist or drop could have your advantage erased immediately.

Let’s take a look at look at leeward mark rounding techniques and present some top tips for perfecting your manoeuvres. With that said; there is a lot going on at the leeward mark with a lot of elements in play, including conditions, spinnaker setup, boat size, course layouts etc, so this list is no means exhaustive, but if you can work on these general points then you will be many steps closer to that elusive perfect leeward mark rounding.

We are going to break our tips into light air tips and heavy air tips. As we will see, the wind speed plays a major role in how you should approach your drops. Full report.