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How is steering downwind different from = steering=20 upwind?
It takes more latent ability to steer a boat well on = reaches and,=20 especially, on runs. You=92ll see a greater number of good helmsmen = upwind than=20 you will downwind, even though everybody assumes downwind is easy. One = big=20 difference between upwind and downwind is that you feel a lot less = breeze when=20 you are driving off the wind. For example, if the true wind speed is 14 = knots,=20 you might feel 20 knots of apparent wind on a beat, but on a run you may = only=20 feel about seven knots apparent. This means that you=92re sailing in = lighter air a=20 majority of the time off the wind, which is why most guys light up their = cigarette or eat their sandwich=97because it=92s a relief from the noise = an wind of=20 beating.



	Richard = Mason/Assa Abloy

	Surfing A Volvo = 60 downwind=20 in the Southern Ocean requires finesse and steady nerves.

It=92s tough to steer = downwind well in light=20 to medium air, because unlike upwind, the feel of the wind is less = apparent and=20 you don=92t have a constant angle of heel or pressure on the helm to use = as a=20 guide. It almost takes a whole new mental attitude to turn the mark and = do your=20 best downwind. For this reason, rounding the weather mark is often a = good time=20 to change helmsmen. So put lunch away=97eat it upwind. The breeze = doesn=92t stop=20 shifting when you hoist the spinnaker, and as a driver, you need your = full=20 attention to continue using as many aids as possible=97instruments, = masthead fly,=20 telltales, waves, other boats, sails, pressure on the helm,=20 etc.

What=92s the best position for a helmsman when steering=20 downwind?
The most important thing is to be comfortable while = you=92re=20 steering. With a wheel, it=92s probably best to stand in the middle of = the boat.=20 You usually have to turn the rudder more downwind than upwind, = especially in=20 waves, and being in the middle will give you the best leverage possible. = But=20 this isn=92t a fixed rule. With a tiller you can use the hiking stick to = steer=20 from the windward side, or you can straddle (or stand next to) the = tiller in the=20 middle of the boat. As the breeze comes on, you certainly should be in a = position where you have as much 1everage as possible so you won=92t let = the boat=20 broach or wander. This often means sitting on the windward side and = holding the=20 tiller with both hands. Brace your feet against something solid, too, or = you=20 won=92t last long on an overpowered reach.
Try to steer from a = position where=20 you can see as much of the waves a sails as possible. Since the helmsman = is=20 often the person farthest aft in the boat, he or she usually has the = best over=20 view of the sailplan and won=92t get mesmerized by the luff of the = spinnaker like=20 the trimmer does. Your position is also important for seeing the = instruments.=20 These are a little harder to watch downwind than upwind because the = crew,=20 instead of being on the rail, is in the center of the boat and moving = all over.=20 It always seems like someone is sitting right in front of the=20 dials.

What instruments do you use?
You want to use = the same=20 basic instruments that you do upwind=97boatspeed and true wind = speed=97plus the=20 apparent wind angle. You need to watch the latter because your optimum = wind=20 angle downwind is a little harder to feel by the seat of the pants. When = you=92re=20 beating, there=92s a very narrowly defined apparent wind angle where the = boat will=20 feel right. But on a run, your wind can be anywhere from 60 apparent to = 180=20 apparent to make your best velocity made good (VMG)=97 depending on the = wind and=20 waves. For example, in 10 knots of true wind, your best VMG upwind might = be=20 obtained somewhere in a groove that=92s about five degrees wide (from = around 26 to=20 31 degrees apparent). Downwind, however, the envelope that includes your = best=20 VMG is much bigger=97it might be 25 degrees. So a good helmsman is = keeping track=20 of boatspeed, true windspeed, apparent wind direction and VMG (from an=20 instrument, if available, or from a boat performance = chart).

What can=20 you do if you don=92t have the fancy instruments?
You have to = keep=20 watching how you=92re doing against the other boats. They are your best = indicator=20 of relative speed, and you should keep experimenting. On a run, for = example,=20 jibe more than you think is right (it won=92t slow you down too much), = and how=20 you=92re netting out with the boats around you. I think it=92s great to = learn how to=20 sail by the seat of the pants and not get too dependent on = instruments.
At=20 night, one of the best guides you can have is a lighted Windex at the = top of=20 your mast. You don=92t want to steer looking only at the Windex, but you = should be=20 able to use it as a reference. I once did a 1,000-mile Mexican race with = Dennis=20 Conner and we had a run all the way in a lot of breeze. Dennis didn=92t = care about=20 the Windex and didn=92t care about the instruments; he shone a = flashlight on the=20 telltale on the windward shroud and steered almost completely by that to = avoid=20 sailing by the lee. You=92ll get a pretty stiff neck you keep looking up = at that=20 Windex all the time. Another good place to put telltale is on the = backstay over=20 your head.
Like upwind, having a good "feel for the boat and the wind = can be=20 very helpful. The good guys kind of feel the breeze on the back of their = necks,=20 which really helps them anticipate what is going to happen. Did you ever = notice=20 how short Conner gets his hair cut before big race? He has it trimmed = very close=20 in the back, and I hardly ever see him look behind downwind.
Another = way to=20 keep track of everything that=92s going on is to get some help from your = crew.=20 Don=92t try to do everything yourself. Designate one person as the = tactician, and=20 ask him or her to keep an eye out for the little puffs and how the other = boats=20 are doing, and to keep the communication going with the trimmers. Make = sure your=20 tactician reports what=92s happening behind your back, because you=92ll = lose your=20 concentration if you have to keep looking back over your shoulder to see = what=92s=20 going on.

What=92s the optimal amount of helm when you=92re = steering=20 downwind?
On the run, getting the right amount of helm is just = as=20 important as it is upwind, except that your goal is to balance the helm = so that=20 it is neutral. In other words, you should minimize the amount that you = have to=20 turn the rudder. Having helm downwind is definitely slow because you = just want=20 the boat to go straight. You=92re not asking it to have lift or to go = any closer=20 to the wind, so all you=92re doing by turning the rudder is creating=20 drag.
Moving crew weight around is one of the best ways to balance = the helm.=20 If you have leeward helm, move some or all of the crew to leeward; if = you have=20 windward helm, get them up to windward. The helmsman is definitely the = key guy=20 in terms of feeling how much helm there is and what needs to happen to = balance=20 it. Balancing the helm on a reach is a different story. Even though = weather helm=20 is slow, sail area is fast when you=92re reaching. Therefore, it pays to = put up as=20 much sail as you can control, even though this makes the boat heel over = and=20 develop helm. While you=92d never sail upwind with more than four or = five degrees=20 of weather helm, on a reach you may be fastest with upwards of 10 = degrees of=20 helm.

Is there a "groove" downwind like there is upwind? =
There=20 is definitely a groove where the trimmer feels like he=92s got some = pressure on=20 the spinnaker and the driver feels like the boat is going well. You just = have to=20 experiment to find the angle where the boat feels lively and the sheet = is=20 pulling, and try it for a while. Watch how you=92re netting out against = the boats=20 around you. The best drivers can feel a little pressure on the helm once = they=20 start cooking; it=92s kind of a vibration. Again, the speedo is the key=20 instrument, and the helmsman essentially lives and dies by it. Figure = out what=20 speed seems to net out well, and then steer the boat up and down to = maintain=20 that speed.
What most people have the hardest time comprehending is = the=20 necessary interrelation between the spinnaker trimmer and the helmsman. = Finding=20 the groove requires communication between these two more than anything = else. The=20 spinnaker trimmer should be saying things like, "It feels right here, = good=20 pressure. Come up a little now because I=92m losing pressure, or come = down a=20 little because I=92m gaining pressure."

Is there anything you = can do to=20 make the downwind groove easier to find?
The more open leeched = your=20 spinnaker is, the narrower the steering envelope becomes. In other = words, the=20 flatter the spinnaker, the tougher it is to fly and the more attention = it=20 requires from both the trimmer and the helmsman. It=92s like having a = fine-entry=20 jib when you=92re sailing upwind=97the difference in steering between = being light=20 and heavy is not very great. One way to make the spinnaker a little more = forgiving is to give it a rounder shape by closing the leeches a little. = On a=20 broad reach or run, choke it down by lowering the pole and moving the = sheet lead=20 forward. This will give you more of a curl and open the steering groove = up a=20 little. Another way to make steering a little easier is to sail on the = fast=20 (high) side when you are trying to pick your optimum VMG downwind. = It=92s similar=20 to widening the upwind groove by sailing a little on the full side when = you=92re=20 beating. Most people err on the slow side downwind, and this is a = mistake. You=20 will pay for being low much more than you will pay for being high, = because once=20 you start to slow down the problem accumulates, and it will take you = longer to=20 get back up to full speed.

What can you use as steering guides = downwind?
I like to use everything possible as a steering = reference. If=20 you have a stern light ahead that=92s on a boat steering same the course = you are,=20 nothing=92s better to keep you going straight. It=92s the same when you = can see a=20 lighthouse or mark that you=92re headed to. Sometimes you can line up a = star in=20 your shroud, but remember that this will only work short periods of = time. The=20 angle of waves will also help you a lot at night. Another helpful guide = is sail=20 trim. If your sails are trimmed for the course you want to steer and all = of a=20 sudden they start luffing, then either you=92ve been headed or you=92re = steering=20 high of course. So I=92d say you should look at wind angle, waves, = stars, moon,=20 close stern lights, angle of the sails, feel of the wind on your face, = angle of=20 heel, horizon, a point on land=97a whole bunch of things. You have to = remember=20 current leeway and all the things that are going to affect the course = you=92re=20 steering. The best way to steer a straight course for a mark (if you can = see it)=20 is to line up the mark with something on land behind and then hold that = bearing=20 constant.

Do you have any tricks for steering on an = overpowered=20 reach?
Making sure you have good leverage on the wheel or tiller = and=20 communicating with the crew are key. Too many helmsmen just sit there = with the=20 tiller up under their neck and don=92t say anything. You have to let the = sailtrimmers know how the helm is. Make sure that they ease as much a = possible,=20 and don=92t ever overtrim when you=92re in overpowering conditions. The = spinnaker is=20 particularly easy to over trim because it looks so pretty when it=92s in = tight.=20 You=92ll find that the better crew tend to lose their spinnaker more = often than=20 you might think because it=92s eased so much. I like to use telltales = near the=20 spinnaker leeches to help make sure that the sail is always eased to the = maximum. The mainsail trimmer is equally important as the spinnaker = trimmer, and=20 he=92s usually right next to the helmsman, so there should be a lot of = talking=20 back and forth. Make sure somebody constantly monitors the vang as = well.
It=92s=20 usually worth going with the spinnaker even if it means you round up = every once=20 in a while. This may make it harder to steer than if you had a genoa but = it=92s=20 faster. Don=92t start depowering the rig until you=92re at the point = where you can=92t=20 steer the boat straight (because of weather helm) and the rudder begins = to=20 stall. The main rule for depowering is to start at the back of the sail = plan and=20 proceed forward. The first thing to do, assuming that the spinnaker is = eased as=20 much as possible, is to ease the mainsheet and the vang. Other ways to=20 depowering the main, and therefore reducing helm, are bending the mast, = pulling=20 in the flattener, or even going to a reef. Secondly, you should take a = staysail=20 down, if you=92re flying it, to reduce heel and therefore lessen weather = helm.=20 Finally, you can go to a flatter spinnaker. The helmsman is the only = person who=20 can really feel when it is time to make these changes.
When weather = helm=20 builds up and the rudder begins to stall (i.e. there=92s bubble of air = around it)=20 before you can depower enough, one technique for reattaching flow on the = rudder=20 is to give the helm a few quick pumps. Keep an eye out for waves as well = because=20 they can tip the boat over, lifting much of the rudder out of the water. = Anticipate big waves by steering a little lower so they won=92t push you = over so=20 much. As usual, steer higher in the relative lulls and lower in the=20 puffs.

How about when you get out of control on a run? =
One=20 thing I tell helmsmen when they=92re steering downwind in severe = conditions is=20 that it=92s very much like skiing. On skis you have to keep you body, = and=20 therefore your center of effort over the skis. You can=92t lean way = uphill or way=20 downhill. In sailing, you have to keep your whole sailplan over the = hull.=20 Looking at it another way, you have to steer so you keep the hull under = the=20 sailplan and prevent the keel from becoming a pendulum. For example, if = the boat=20 heels to the right, then steer under it to the right. If the boat heels = to the=20 left, steer under it that way. These steering corrections should be = fairly=20 small; you don=92t want to over steer and cause a turn the other way. If = you=92re=20 having a hard time keeping the boat under the sails, perhaps your crew = weight is=20 too much to one side. You definitely want to balance the helm in these=20 conditions.
A helmsman can have problems steering downwind because = most boats=20 have too much sail in a breeze and can=92t be as effectively reefed as = they can be=20 upwind. Even if you could reef the main you=92d end up with too much = sail on the=20 spinnaker side. So it=92s critical to figure out a way to balance the = boat with=20 the sails (as it is on any other point of sail) and this requires = working extra=20 hard with the sailtrimmers. For example, if the boat wants to round up = to=20 windward, ask the person on the guy to square the pole. If the boat = wants to go=20 out to leeward, ask for the pole to be eased forward and the sheet = trimmed.=20

How do you avoid and recover from broaches?
A boat is = most=20 vulnerable broaching (or jibe broaching) when the rig is loaded up. This = usually=20 happens at the bottom of a wave, where the bow digs into the next wave, = slowing=20 the boat and the rig tries to keep on going. Ideally the helmsman wants = to go=20 dead down the wave and then head up a little in the trough to avoid=20 this.
Remember that steering corrections on a run should be as small = as=20 possible. The worst thing you can do when you start to round up is = overreact. An=20 inexperienced helmsman will typically crank the helm over as the boat = starts to=20 luff up, but when the sails fill and flow attaches to the rudder, the = boat will=20 have so much momentum going the other direction that it will do a jibe = broach.=20 The important thing is to try to get flow on the rudder without making = too=20 abrupt a movement. Keep ventilating the rudder (by giving the helm quick = tugs)=20 to get rid of a stalled bubble, and work the boat do to the compass = course that=20 you were originally on , or maybe a little lower. If feel like the boat = is about=20 to round up it=92s probably better to call for a spinnaker luff and keep = the boat=20 going straight than it is to broach. At least that way you won=92t lose = all your=20 moment down the course. If you do broach, the first sail that you trim = back in=20 should probably be your spinnaker. Just as you depowered the boat from = back to=20 front, you should power up from the front to the back.

What = can you do=20 to help the boat surf in waves?
One of the best downwind drivers = I=92ve=20 ever sailed with is Mark Soverel. He=92s unbelievable and it=92s because = he=92s a=20 surfer [Ed=92s note: Soverel died in January, 2002]. Steering a big boat = down=20 waves is no different than surfing. What you=92re trying to do build up = boatspeed=20 and apparent windspeed by steering across the wave. You then use this = speed to=20 make optimum VMG to leeward by turning (maybe 10 to 20 degrees) and = going down=20 the face of the wave. When your bow is about to dig into the next wave, = head up=20 so that the rig doesn=92t become overloaded. It=92s definitely not fast = to go in a=20 straight line. My advice is to watch a surfing contest on television, = and just=20 study those guys go across waves.
In surfing conditions, the helmsman = should=20 look for troughs on the windward side of the boat and also watch the bow = wave.=20 If you see the bow wave starting to get bigger, then it=92s time to head = up=20 little. You want to pick the biggest wave to surf on, and this is where = looking=20 behind, or having your tactician look behind can really help. Every = third wave=20 or so is bigger than the others. Spend most of your time going down the = big wave=20 rather than trying to go down the little waves and missing the big ones. = You=20 have to discriminate. Steering by the lee can be very fast when you=92re = on a=20 wave. Another trick that some helmsmen use for catching waves is = wriggling the=20 tiller just as a wave starts to lift their stern. I think this breaks up = the=20 suction that=92s created when a boat is moving through the water and = stops the=20 boat from being sucked into the wave. It=92s like breaking up the ground = effect on=20 a race car.

What=92s the fastest way to steer during a jibe? =
You=20 lose very little by jibing downwind as long as your crew can execute a = jibe=20 properly. So one basic rule of thumb is that the helmsman ought to jibe = at a=20 speed that=92s good for the crew. It=92s no good to spin a fast jibe if = the=20 spinnaker ends up inside the headstay. Ideally, though, if you jibe only = for the=20 benefit of the crew, you=92ll usually be steering through the jibe too = slowly.=20 They problem with turning slowly is that you don=92t have apparent wind = building=20 fast enough on the new jibe. As a result, your speed stays in the low = range, and=20 it may take a long time to get it back up again. You should almost = always turn=20 more sharply than what you think would be right in a jibe.
By and = large, you=20 want to come out of the jibe a little higher than the angle that gives = your=20 optimum VMG. Your goal is to load the boat up (with apparent wind) on = the new=20 jibe as quickly as possible, because when you jibe you are making great = VMG for=20 a while (since you=92re headed straight downwind), but you start losing = all your=20 apparent wind. If you don=92t come up fairly sharply just after the = jibe, you=92ll=20 lose too much momentum Your course should be up and then down=97that=92s = the ideal=20 jibe. The only exception to this is when you=92re sailing downwind in a = lot of=20 breeze and you don=92t need to sail higher to get back up to = speed

Where=20 are you looking as you jibe?
I watch the spinnaker the whole = time. The=20 reason for this is that the helmsman should call when the pole is = tripped. You=20 ought to yell "Trip" when the pole is fully squared (i.e. the boat is = headed=20 dead downwind or slightly by the lee), and this is the moment when you = want to=20 start turning the boat a little faster.
I use the angle of the Windex = and the=20 compass during the second half of the turn to help me know what heading = I should=20 be on for the new jibe. I try to end up so the Windex is a little = farther=20 forward on the new jibe than it was on the old to keep speed up. Another = rule of=20 thumb on a run is that if I=92m sailing with the Windex about 25 degrees = forward=20 of dead aft, then we=92ll jibe through about 25 degrees. In this case, = I=92ll say,=20 "Let=92s jibe through 35 degrees, keep good speed and then bear down to = our=20 optimum angle." As we come out of the jibe, I=92m looking for a rough = compass=20 course and Windex angle.
It=92s safe to say that helmsmanship does = not win=20 races by itself, but it can certainly make a big difference. Both upwind = and=20 downwind, the best drivers can sense how a boat is going by the feel of = the=20 wheel or tiller, and they are quarterbacking the whole team according to = this.=20 Practice using all your senses when you=92re steering, and don=92t get = hung up on=20 any one aid like instruments or telltales. Communicate with your = tactician and=20 trimmers, and keep the boat sailing on the fast = side.