Sailing is probably one of the most fascinating sports in which you interact with the forces of nature. This is exactly what can lead to unwanted situations from time to time – learn how to prepare for them in this video.

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The right equipment is essential for pure sailing fun.

Water spray and the wind can cool the body down quickly – the best way to protect yourself from this socalled evaporative cold is to wear a neoprene or dry suit.

An absolute must that you should always have with you when you go out on the water is a life jacket. It protects you from drowning should ever something major go wrong. Make sure that the life jacket is of the right size!

Before you go out on the water, be sure to ask about local peculiarities. Speak to the harbour master, sailing schools and other sailors who know the area well.

Check the weather situation meticulously. The best way to do this is through the internet, but you can also ask local experts who know the peculiarities of the sailing area. Find out if there are any signs of storms and/or impending storms.
On large inland lakes, there are often clearly visible light signals at certain positions on the shore, socalled "thunderstorm warning systems". When they start flashing, you should sail back to shore quickly. If in doubt, it is better to stay on land.

Thunderstorms are a safety hazard for sailors. They usually signal their arrival through stifling humidity, heavy haze and whitish blue skies. Furthermore,
high piledup cluster clouds, socalled cumulus clouds, form before a thunderstorm. In the event of an approaching thunderstorm, a safe port where to shelter the boat should be approached without delay.


If, despite good preparedness, you are surprised by too strong a wind on the water, you can adjust the sail area to compensate for the stronger wind. The mainsail can be lowered one hand length. This makes the pressure point lower, and handling is improved in strong winds.

If the wind gets too strong, you can remove the mainsail completely and secure it to the boat.

For better rig tension in strong winds, you can also connect the main halyard to the mainsheet and tension it slightly. Now you can continue sailing with only the headsail.

If you regularly sail in very strong winds, we recommend strong wind sails. These have a smaller surface area and can therefore still be controlled well at high wind speeds.

In order to be able to right your boat quickly without assistance after a potential capsize, we recommend attaching a masthead float to the masthead. This prevents the boat from capsizing by keeping the masthead floating on the water. It is best to practise righting yourself after a capsize a couple of times at the shore so that you are well prepared in case it ever happens. You can see how to successfully right the catamaran after a capsize in the video "Capsizing properly".

By the way, you should never tie yourself to a sports catamaran. In the event of a capsize, it is usually safer if you can move freely. However, always make sure to hold on to the boat in such a situation.

If you need help despite good preparation, you can signal this with the socalled "tired fly" method. To do this, move your arms in a semicircle to the left and right of your body.


There are situations where it is helpful if the sailboat remains in a calm and steady position on the water. You achieve this by means of the socalled 'heaving to'.

To do this, steer the boat through the wind as you would for a tack. Instead of shifting the sail to leeward, keep it on the windward side by keeping the foresheet taut. After the bow has been turned by the wind, start moving the tiller to the new leeward side and at the same time furl the mainsail. The boat is now in a stable position and moves only slowly to leeward.

This can be helpful, for example, during the "man overboard" manoeuvre or when you want to take a break.

On larger bodies of water, it makes perfect sense to have a waterproof mobile phone with you so that you can call for help in an emergency.

The GRABNER Sailing Academy Team wishes you lots of sailing fun!



0:00 Introduction
0:20 Personal equipment
0:52 Local particularities
1:47 Thunderstorms
2:16 Strong wind
3:09 Capsize
4:06 Tired fly
4:21 'Heaving to' maneuver



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