Andreas Josenhans give tips on how to improve your boat speed at CRW

by Katie Nicoll on 12 Aug 2011 Every morning of Chester Race Week, Andreas Josenhans 'Holds court' with the local sailors to help them improve their sailing skills and race results. After yesterday's blow, many skippers where frustrated by their boat's lack of performance. His tips were to use your sail controls and tensions: halyards, sheets, outhaul, backstay, boomvang, traveller, cunningham. Flatten your sails and let the boat find it's own way through the waves. Your degree of heal should between 18 and 23 degrees.

However, today's winds are much different and light winds will be the order of the day. So, his advice was to keep the weight in the boat low and consolidate it. Get all the extra gear off the boat. Reduce the wetted services of the boat through the heal. Get those unused halyards BEHIND the mast and every week or so rinse the halyards and sails to reduce the amount of salt that accumulates on their surfaces and adds weight. Remember that your ratchet blocks on the main and jib sheets are equal to a tape measure, so use your knot meter to determine what is fastest.

As far as strategy - keep to a side, but not necessarily bang a corner. Above all, get out to the race course early and gather your information with where the wind is coming from and the consistent or persistent shifts.