WINGING IT DOWN THE RUN

Sailing downwind on a boat that can go wing-on-wing opens up a lot of speed and tactical options for the downwind leg

- STEVE HUNT

IF conditions warrant, some boats, like J/70s, FJs, Collegiate 420s and Snipes, successfully wing for the entire run. And for other boats that carry asymmetric spinnakers, such as J/105s and Melges 20s, brief moments of winging can present gains, such as when jibing, (a late-main jibe), coming into a leeward mark gaining an overlap, or shooting the downwind finish line. It's a powerful technique to have in your toolbox these days, so let's dive deeper into the art of the wing, how to do it and when to do it.

There's usually no question when in the middle wind ranges from 8 to 14 knots-where the wing technique works well. By doing so, you'll sail less distance without sacrificing much speed, getting you to the leeward mark sooner than someone who reaches back and forth. But in light air, it's often too slow to wing, and the jib or kite doesn't have enough pressure to fly well. Also, when the wind is light, the main falls into the middle of the boat, causing an unintentional jibe. You need enough pressure to hold the sails firmly in the winging configuration to make it work.

In the crossover zone, when you are unsure if winging will work, it can pay to give it a shot. If it doesn't feel powered up and fast, abort the wing by continuing your turn, jibing the boom, and flattening onto the new jibe. The cool thing with this move is that you can get a boost of speed during the flatten, especially in a dinghy. Experiment with winging in the crossover wind range, then aborting, making it a late-main jibe.