Wind and points of sail
Ready when: Knots and the parts of the boat (b1) started.
What you are learning
Finding where the wind comes from, and the names of the courses a boat can sail compared with it (the points of sail). Straight into the wind is the no-go zone, where a boat stops. Reading the wind is the first skill of every sailor.
Words on this card Wind direction, Points of sail, Close-hauled, No-go zone
- Wind direction
- Where the wind comes from, and a sudden stronger puff of it.
- Points of sail
- The names for a boat's course compared with the wind.
- Close-hauled
- Sailing as close to the wind as possible; with the wind coming from the side; with the wind from behind.
- No-go zone
- The direction straight into the wind, where a boat cannot sail.
Set up
A ribbon on a stick; a toy or paper boat; a hoop as a no-go zone.
Weather: a light wind
Show it first for the one teaching
- Hold up the ribbon: the wind blows from the side it streams away from. Point to where the wind comes from.
- Put the hoop on the ground on the wind side of the boat: that is the no-go zone.
- Walk round the hoop and name the courses: close-hauled near the hoop, across the wind at the side, running with the wind behind.
Your part while they practise
Ask "where is the wind from?"
Step by step
- Find the wind direction with the ribbon.
- Walk the points of sail around the hoop: close-hauled, across the wind, running away from it.
- The no-go zone is straight into the wind.
- Watch the water or the trees for 5 minutes and note the wind, gusts, sky and waves.
How much: 3 walks round the hoop 8 min a session once a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Wind compass
You call a point of sail, the child turns the boat to face that course.
Who plays: the child against their own best; you call.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Check the wind with the ribbon and place the hoop
- Call "close-hauled", "across", "running" or "no-go"
- The child turns the boat to face that course
- 10 calls
- Fair play
- A grown-up plays with their back to the ribbon.
- Points
- 1 point for each right course; 1 more point for naming the side the wind is on.
- Fouls
- No points
- Pointing the boat into the no-go zone on any call except "no-go"
- Turning before checking the ribbon after the wind shifts
- Guessing without pointing to the wind first
- Winning
- Beat your best from 10 calls.
- 8 points for 1 star
- 13 points for 2 stars
- 18 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Two directions.
All five points of sail.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child cannot point to the wind
Feel it on your face
Turn till both ears feel it the same. - they head into the wind
That is the no-go zone
Turn away a little.
Self-check
The child finds the wind direction and names 3 points of sail.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains reading the wind.
awiseathlete.com/sports/sailing/sailing-b2