Video collection

Learn to Sail

Practical sailing skills, manoeuvres and seamanship.

Sailing for Total Beginners (The Simple Guide)

This is a straightforward, hands‑on introduction for anyone who wants to get from zero to actually sailing a small cruising yacht. The video walks through sailing language (bow, stern, port, starboard), the parts of the rig (mast, shrouds, spreaders, standing and running rigging) and the names for sail sections (luff, leech, clew, tack, foot, head). You’ll also see how the sails work like an airplane wing to generate lift and forward drive. The instructor demonstrates core sailboat skills on the water: raising and lowering mainsail and headsail, using halyards and sheets, setting a roller‑furling Genoa, and basic sail trimming. Practical controls are explained — mainsheet and traveller, boom vang, outhaul and reefing points — and you’ll watch reefing being done step‑by‑step so you understand how to reduce sail area when conditions change. You’ll learn the points of sail (close‑hauled, beam reach, broad reach, running), what the no‑sail “no‑go” zone is, and how to use the wind to slow the boat. The video covers manoeuvres such as tacking (turning through the wind) and gybing (turning away from the wind), including what happens to the mainsail and headsail during each and why gybes need careful control. This walkthrough includes live crewing examples: dropping and trimming the Genoa, using winches and blocks, and experimenting with sail trim to find speed. It’s ideal for complete beginners, day sailors preparing for their first outings, or shore‑based learners who want to understand how sail controls and points of sail relate in practice. If you want a single, practical primer that moves from terminology to on‑water actions, this video gives a clear, visual foundation to build from before crew‑ing or skippering on your own.

How We Reef Our Mainsail Sailing Downwind

How We Reef Our Mainsail Sailing Downwind walks you through a real-world reefing sequence while running downwind. The crew show the exact steps they take on their boat: easing the cunningham and halyard, unclutching the halyard lock, dealing with a ‘sticky’ car on the mainsail track, setting and tensioning the reef line, and balancing topping lift and mainsheet to stop the boom from banging. You’ll see why they loosen the cunningham first, how they use the topping lift and mainsheet as a backstay substitute to control twist, and how speed and boat trim affect the sail wrapping around the stays. The video is practical and hands-on — not just theory. It covers dealing with common problems such as getting cars past a sticky section of track, keeping the boom steady on an A-frame mainsheet system, and trimming the reefed sail so the leech only just kisses the shrouds. There’s also a useful demonstration of managing a spinnaker while reefing the main, and explanation of when to ease the topping lift or take on the mainsheet to get the correct sail shape. Who this is useful for: sailors who already know basic sail handling and want to improve downwind reefing technique; cruising couples and small crews that reef on the run; owners with A-frame mainsheet systems or those who suffer sticky cars on their track. It’s especially valuable if you want to learn practical sequence, timing and crew calls to reef safely and efficiently while maintaining speed. Expect a realistic, on-deck walkthrough with honest chat about what’s easy and what’s fiddly. Good to watch before your next downwind leg so you know what to expect and how to keep the boat balanced while reducing sail.