Asymmetric Series in PDF

All the weekly instalments in easy to print PDF format

This ten part series has been converted into user friendly PDF files, so you can download them for safe keeping or print them off as you need to. (each one max 130k)



Why Asymmetrics?
49er sailor and expert journalist Andy Rice introduces this series of technique articles about sailing skiffs and asymmetrics. In this brief article he notes the five basic tips all asymmetric sailors should know.


Upwind Strategy
Ian Barker won Olympic Silver in the 49er at the Sydney Games. He has also won the 505 Worlds and the Enterprise Worlds. In this article he describes how he approaches upwind sailing in asymmetric boats.


To Soak or Plane?
Mike Lennon has had success in a broad range of dinghies and keelboats. He has won the Melges 24 Nationals twice, the RS800 Nationals once, finished third in the 1720 Nationals and fourth in the International 14 Worlds. His day job is Technical Director of Hyde Sails, so he knows a thing or two about fast sail shapes too. Here he talks about one of the most straightforward (and difficult) aspects of asymmetric sailing.


Downwind Strategy
Chris Nicholson is current 505 World Champion, three-time 49er World Champion, crewmember of Amer Sports One in the Volvo Ocean Race. In this article he explains his downwind strategy.


Surviving the Gybe
Trevor Baylis is reigning International 14 World Champion, and 2002 18-Foot Skiff World Champion. He is a top crew and has raced modern asymmetric boats from day one. Gybing is one of the toughest and most critical elements of skiff sailing, in this article he goes through his gybing technique.


The Leeward Mark
Chris Draper has made a meteoric rise to the top of the 49er class in a little over two years. Last year he teamed up with Olympic silver medalist Simon Hiscocks and the pair achieved the runners-up spot at the 49er Worlds and Europeans. In this article he runs through his approach to the leeward mark.


Lights Airs
Dan Johnson crews for Rob Greenhalgh in the International 14 and the 18-foot skiff. He was part of the RMW crew that narrowly missed out on winning the JJ Giltinan Trophy earlier this year. Here, Dan shares his wisdom on light airs techniques in the 18-foot skiff and other asymmetric dinghies.


Survival Sailing
Tim Robinson is a legend in skiff sailing circles, primarily for winning the JJ Giltinan Trophy, the first ever non-Aussie to achieve such a result. He has also won a multitude of 14 and 49er events and is an experienced keelboat sailor too. In this article he primarily focuses on his experiences in 18 foot Skiffs, but the techniques he uses can be implemented on your asymmetric dinghy or sportsboat text.


The Winning Mind
Howie Hamlin turned 50 in February, just a month after he won the 18-foot skiff World Championships for the second consecutive year. He also won the 505 World Championships in 1999. In this article he explains the importance of achieving the right mental approach in the high-octane world of skiff racing. It's all about getting in 'the zone'.