Inland Championship promo venue tips by Geoff Carveth first published 2011 ‘The first point to look at is that not all inland waters are the same, Rutland Water and Grafham Water do not have the same characteristics as smaller venues such as Frensham Pond or Burghfield.
The first thing to look at when arriving at a small lake or reservoir venue is the surrounding geography.
Take a look around for clumps of trees, islands, water towers or any other obstructions. Such obstructions can cause convergence or divergence of the wind and this is what makes inland sailing so tricky!
There are wind channels and wind shadows all of which are vital to be aware of prior to racing.
‘It’s also important to look up at the sky: clouds are a key indicator of what is about to come through, this is easier to work with on a coastal location but you still need to look up inland, it’s just the effects are much more immediate. If you are already familiar with the venue you may well know about ‘zones’ where you could run out of wind or where there is more likely to be a wind channel. Local knowledge proves that if the wind is coming from a particular direction, you know to stick to the opposite bank if sailing on a river, or that a particular part of the lake will generally have more constant wind. ‘Another big difference when sailing inland, is you need to keep your head well out the boat! Relax about your compass settings and sail with the boats around you. Try not to ‘bang corners’ or you risk getting caught out with no wind and instead try and get leverage on the fleet with height and positioning. There is no excuse for not keeping your head out of the boat, you have more time to do so in a sense because you do not have to watch waves or think about the tide.
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