that is one of the most important rules in fast skiff sailing: the flatter the boat, the more effective sail area, the faster the boat. this is why the fast skiffs generally have at least one person out on the wire: to use the weight to counterbalance the power of the sail, and make the boat go faster.
another important lesson is to set the sail controls correctly: for low winds the sail should be rounder for more power, in a stronger breeze a flatter sail will provide more speed – applied aerodynamics. coach alice made the girls play with downhaul (flattens the sail) and vang (straightens the rear edge – the leech – of the sail) to feel the difference.
nat thinks they did a bad job; i respectfully disagree. it takes a lot of practice to get to this point, and sail such a difficult boat fast and without go for regular swims. well done, girls!