(Editor’s Note: At the 2019 Women’s North American Championship sailed at the Niantic Yacht Club in Niantic, CT, Bill Brangiforte taught a seminar to the women competitors. I happened to find a copy of his “Observations from the 2019 Women’s NAs” file on my computer and thought this would be a great introduction to many sailing/rigging tips presented throughout the year. Bill listed 11 observations. In this issue, we’ll start with his observation #1.)
To quote the beginning of Bill’s “Observations …” article: “When Will Kresic asked me to do a clinic and help out at the Women’s NAs, I thought it would be fun and a good way to give back to the Class. Not only was it fun, but it was also a good learning experience. While I could talk forever about rigging tricks and sailing techniques, I wanted to discuss some things I learned, or perhaps relearned, during the weekend while they are still fresh in my mind.
I was surprised that the most attention-getting and photographed part of the clinic was on tying knots. There are 5 knots you need to know to properly rig a sunfish. All of these knots are useful for many other areas when securing a piece of equipment to another is needed.” Bill Brangiforte
With verification from Paul-Jon Patin, I’m describing what each of Bill’s recommended knots are used for:
