Tacking: how much distance does each tack cost you?

Why a tack costs distance, the four phases where you lose it, and how to cut the loss with drills that measure your progress.

  • Intermediate
  • Tacking
  • Acceleration
  • Steering

Every tack costs distance. While the boat turns through the wind it stops making progress upwind, slows down, and then has to accelerate back to full speed. The question is not whether you lose distance, but how much, and where in the manoeuvre you lose it.

The four phases of a tack

  1. Entry. The helm starts the turn. Steering too hard here acts like a brake: the rudder stalls and the boat slows before it even reaches head to wind.
  2. Through the wind. Sails are depowered and the boat coasts. This should be short; every extra second here costs speed.
  3. Exit. The boat settles on the new course. Over-steering past close-hauled is common and costs height.
  4. Acceleration. Sails are trimmed back on and the boat builds speed. Many sailors lose the most distance here, by sheeting in too early and stalling the sails.

Where most sailors lose

The intuitive guess is phase 2, when the boat is head to wind. In practice the acceleration phase often costs as much as everything before it, because it lasts longest. Sheeting in to full upwind trim before the boat has speed stalls the sails; easing slightly and footing for a few lengths usually gets you back to target speed sooner.

Coaching cues

  • Smooth rudder: “Turn the boat with the body and sails, follow with the rudder.”
  • Exit wide, then climb: come out a few degrees below close-hauled and build speed before pointing.
  • Trim to speed, not to the mark: sheets come in as the speed comes up.

Drill: ten-tack ladder

  1. Sail upwind at full speed for at least 30 seconds to set a steady baseline.
  2. Tack on a whistle, then hold the new tack until the boat is back at target speed.
  3. Repeat ten times, alternating sides, and note which side feels slower.
  4. Compare the loss of the first three and the last three tacks to see whether fatigue changes your technique.

Frequently asked questions

How many metres does a good tack lose?

It depends heavily on the boat and the conditions. Compare yourself with sailors in the same class on the same day, or with your own average, rather than a universal number.

Should I tack less often to lose less?

Only if the tactical gain of a tack is smaller than its cost. Knowing your real tack loss in metres helps you make that call on the water.