Lesson Plan: Sailing Backwards
Instructor Lesson Plan Focus Skill
Sailing Backwards Class Factors
Students: Number, Age, Skill Level, Boat-Type Time: Duration of class
6 students, 11-12 years old, Intermediate, Optimist, Single-Handed
Two Hours 8-10 mph, with forecasted gusts to increase to 12 mph
Weather: Air & Water Temp, Wind Speed, Forecast Goal(s) What do you hope to accomplish?
Students will be able to sail their boats backwards for both an extended period of time and be able to transition to sailing forwards efficiently from sailing backwards
Setup • Whiteboard/Markers • Rigged boat on land Chalk Talk: Land Drill: 15
• 5 marks • Whistle
minutes
Materials needed to teach each step in the progression of learning, prep before students arrive.
On Water:
Progression of Learning - Chalk Talk
Purpose Value Statement: Explain why this focus skill will help connect to their sailing knowledge. Sailing backwards is a useful skill for departing docks, getting out of irons, and sailboat racing.
Prior Skill Knowledge: What skills you need to know before learning about this new skill (brief review)
Steer with Rudder, Bodyweight & Sails, Control Heel, and Control Speed. Artful Questions (1-2) to engage youth and help them connect to their prior experiences
How does the steering of a boat change when it’s moving backwards? If the boat is not moving forwards or backwards, how can we make the boat turn?
Content: Introduction:
Sailing backwards is a challenging but very important skill. Te boat must be pointed directly into the wind for it to work and it’s the opposite of what you have practiced and been taught so far in sailing.
Talking point with detail:
Sail Backwards - Demonstrate sailing backwards under mainsail power for 3+ boat lengths. 1) Sail close hauled and push the tiller away from you to point into the wind. Te boat must point as close to the wind direction as possible!
2) Drop your main sheet and let out the sail. 3) Stand up and push the boom with your forward hand so that the sail fills on the other side of you. You may have to lean towards the sail.
4) Te boat will begin to driſt backwards. Steer so that the boat stays pointed into the wind! Remember, the tiller will turn the boat the opposite way it normally does as the boat is going backwards, so you point the tiller the way you want to go. Be sure to look where you are going!
Quick Transition - Demonstrate quickly transitioning from sailing backwards and back to sailing forwards using proper mainsail trim.
• Once we feel comfortable sailing backwards for more than 3 boat lengths. Practice very purposefully turning to below a close hauled course and trimming the sails normally to accelerate going forward.
• Helpful Hint: When backing the sails, be aware that there will be wind pressure pushing back against you. Te stronger the wind, the greater the pressure. Take care!
• Helpful Hint: In order to make your boat turn when it has no forward motion, skull! Rapidly paddle your boat with the tiller in one direction to make it point into the wind to sail backwards or to point close hauled to sail forwards.
Check for Understanding: Ask questions that probe for understanding. Question:
Wind
15 minutes
• When sailing backwards and the boat stops moving forwards or backwards, where is the boat pointed relative to the wind?
• Who can show me how the tiller turns the boat when it’s traveling backwards? Y_SB_031_JUN22_INT_6_SailingBackwards
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