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Course notes – Keelboat Crew

Our Yachts - The International J/24, the world’s most popular One-Design Keel boat, which is

affordable, fun and competitive for all ages.

J/24 is for everyone, age 12 to 80, no matter what their style: racing, day

sailing or cruising. Her flared topsides make her dry on deck. Her

'weekender' cabin makes it possible to get warm on cold days and she can

be sailed easily by one person with only the mainsail. In addition, the J/24 is

the choice for the Rolex Women's International Keelboat Championship and

St. Francis International Masters Championship (aged 55+).

The International J/24 is built in the USA, Japan and Italy and has more than 50,000 people sailing 6,000

boats in 150 fleets in 40 countries.

We assume you have never stepped aboard a sailing boat. We start with safety - can you swim? Your

Instructor will go though the skills for the day and make reference to the lesson plan in the Instructor

folder. Check the folder and make a mental note of the things you would like to go over in your practice

sailing lessons. You will be steering from day one. Our courses are designed to train you as the skipper.

Even if you just plan to crew, people trained as the skipper always make much better crew. You will learn

the basics, which include the rigging a yacht, safety equipment, use, location and steering on all points of 

sail. You will also have a good understanding of knots, rules of the road and, most importantly, you will

have a pretty good idea of wind direction - being aware of where the wind is and what to do with it! By

the end of Course 2 you will have the skills to skipper a small yacht in reasonable weather conditions.

The emphasis of the this course is very much on having fun, but first of all we must take a look at safety.

 All our yachts conform to regulations concerning stability, safety equipment including personal flotation

devices (life-jackets), fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Each boat also has an anchor and a sufficient

line to moor it anywhere in the Harbour, which is reassuring to know if worst comes to worst and your

instructor falls overboard! (It hasn't happened, touch wood , but...) You must also be aware of the boom,

always keep your eye on it and keep your head down. If you keep seated as much as possible and keep

your head down you will avoid getting hit on the head. You should dress down for sailing: Jeans or

shorts, plenty of sunscreen and a pair of soft-soled shoes such as trainers (black soles tend to leave

marks on the decks and make you unpopular on any boat.) Leave all jewellery, expensive watches and

especially bulky rings at home.

Every lesson at the Pacific Sailing School starts with a weather forecast. Be sure to listen to this important

safety information and ask your instructor about any technicalities. STEPPING ABOARD: Sailing boats

with their heavy keels are much more stable than you would expect. Even so, take care getting aboard.

Move around the boat with care, "one hand for the boat, one hand for yourself."

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18/11/2010

Lesson 1 - This lesson begins wi

sails. Your instructor will be talkingthe boat works. The trouble is tha

suggest you purchase the Introd

Dummies text. Check out our merc

practice sailing close to the ‘eye of 

wind but most people are surprised

approximately 45 degrees. This is

wind as possible and with the sails

We will concentrate on the feeling

it feels when she “luffs” by trying

 “going about’ (some say ‘tacking’) b

and coordinated teamwork, we will

over and might cause some spray,

the-fair. When we sail back to our

to get your breath back and realiz

lot! Well done, now it’s time for de 

Lesson 2 - Since we now know

look at how to make the sails small

known as "reefing" and will prove

sail! In this lesson, we practice sail

the side of the boat. This, the fast

"close hauled". We will also focus

performance with the aid of "tell-ta

cats, cruise boats and other yacht

collisions between vessels. Don’t w

Lesson 3 - We review previous s

the wind, known as “running". You

the most difficult. It requires a stea

rounding-up onto a beam reach or

Lesson 4 - Gybeing is potentiall

flung hard across the Boat if not

head down. If we are quite comfo

Provided that everybody on board

sailing), you will find it goes ver

demonstrate an uncontrolled gybe

doesn't go right. By the end of this

clock" (or more likely round the isla

fully in control - and what a sense

on sailing and raring to go.

h instruction and demonstration on rigging the bo

gibberish for about half an hour as he/she explaint every line and fitting on a boat has a peculiar

ctory Keelboat handbook available in our office

andise section on our website. Once you are ready

the wind’. We all know that a sailing boat cannot s

to find out how close to the wind we can sail –

called sailing close-hauled (i.e. as close to the

auled in as tight as possible.) 

he boat gives you on this point of sail and how

o sail too close to the wind. We will then try

y turning the bow through the eye of the wind. By

zigzag our way to windward. This will probably ma

both of which are quite normal and all-the-fun-of-

ooring with the wind behind, you will get a chance

you have Set Sail… and you’re probably smiling a

riefing! 

more or less how the boat is put together, we will

er in case there is too much wind. This is a process

uch easier to do on the mooring than, later, under

ing on a "beam reach", with the wind coming over

st point of sailing has a different feeling to sailing

on sail trim - setting the sails to get maximu

les". We will be taking care to avoid the ferries, je

s. Just like on the roads, rules exists to preven

orry - we have plenty of room! 

ills and now learn about reaching and sailing in the

might think it would be the easiest point of sail bu

dy hand on the helm and lots of concentration to s

ccidentally "gybeing".

dangerous as the sails are eased out fully for ru

roperly controlled and could hit your head. Reme

table running downwind, we will start to practice c

knows what is happening and what to do (as with

smoothly. If wind conditions allow, we will

to give you an idea of what to expect when it

lesson, you will be sailing the boat “around the

nd), confident of your tacking and gybeing and

f achievement you will feel! You will be hooked

2

t and hoisting the

how each part of autical name. We

or the Sailing for

to set sail, we will

il directly into the

process of skilled

ke the boat “heel” 

same direction as

in fact it is by far

op the boat either

ning and can get

ber to keep your

ontrolled Gybeing.

any manoeuvre in

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Lesson 5 Theory and Social Evening

This is usually held upstairs in the Club or occasionally at RANSA room on the first Tuesday of the monthfrom 6pm. Call us to book. Theory is about 2 hours and then we like to dine at the Club. Join us for

dinner and a few wines.

Practice Sessions.

It is much better to go straight on to Keelboat Helm and then do practice lessons. It takes about seven or

eight lessons for it all to sink in and get the confidence to crew or skipper a small sailing yacht. After you

finish Keelboat Helm it’s now time do some Practice Sessions, a perfect way to keep sailing. They are free

and unlimited for our Keelboat graduates for up to 6 months. Available on a standby basis, please call us

any Friday or the day before you would like to sail.

List of Terms

 AFT: Behind, further back in the boat. BEAM: Widest part of the boat “amidships”.BOOM: Metal spar attached to foot of mainsail.BOW: Front of boat.CLEAT: Device to secure a line.CLEW: Back corner of a sail.CLOSE HAULED: Sailing as close to the wind as possible.DEBRIEFING: Beer time at the ClubDOWNWIND: In the direction the wind is going.FOOT: Bottom edge of the sail.GENOA: Large headsail which stretches back aft of the mast.GO ABOUT: Turning the bow through the eye of the wind.

GYBEING: Turning the stern through the eye of the wind.HALYARD: Rope or wire used to hoist a sail.HEAD Top corner of a sailHEADS: Toilet on a boatHELM: Rudder, tiller, Means of steering a boat. JIB: Small headsail which does not overlap the mainsail.KNOT: Measurement of speed (1 nautical mile per hour).KNOT: or Device to attach ropes which can be undone after use.KEELBOAT:  Yacht with a fixed keel (not retractable)LEACH: Back edge of a sail.LEEWARD: Side the wind is going to. Away from the windLEEWAY: Sideways drift made by boat, reduced by having a keel.LUFF: Leading edge of a sail. The first bit that flaps or “luffs”".PORT TACK: The wind coming over the port (left) side.

REACH: Sail with the wind coming at 90°

to the boat.REEF: To reduce the size of the mainsail for strong winds.RIG: To prepare a boat for sailing. Mast. Sails and stays.RUNNING: Sailing in the same direction as the wind. SHACKLE: A fitting with a pin used to secure a halyard to a sail.SHEET: Rope which controls the trim of a sail.STARBOARD TACK: The wind coming over the right side.STERN: Aft end of the boat.TACK: Bottom front corner of sail.TACKING: A term often used when going about.WINDWARD: The side where the wind is coming from.