Rigged and ready to go? Stop and think about the wind first – which way is it blowing? Look at flags or sails to help you work it out. Wind awareness is as important to a sailor as his boat. For launching, you need to know whether the wind is blowing onto the land from the water (onshore wind) or blowing off the land towards the water (offshore wind), as the technique is different for each. Chapter Seven tells you more about wind and about onshore and offshore winds.