How can i improve my upwind sailing???

Hello,
I am quite new in the class, and I 'm fast downwind, but I'm really slow upwind.
My weight is 78 kg and my height is 1,80m. I use standard sail, but radial sailors usually are faster than me upwind, specially in medium and strong winds.
How can I improve my upwind sailing?. Can somebody recomend me how I need to set my sail or some important tips to improve it?.

Regards,
Macia

Re: How can i improve my beating ???

I love the thread title. "How can I improve my beating." There are soooo many bad ways to go with this!

OK, back on topic. I would suggest you watch and ask your competitors about their style. When you can see what they are doing and talk to them about it you will find it much easier to understand and put into practice. Trying to take the information from here without pictures or video makes it really difficult.

Also, ask them to look at what you are doing and ask them to tell you what is wrong with your style.

Yes, I changed that distracting title.

Make sure you are keeping the boat flat. Hike, play the main and use sail controls to do this.

Are you sailing on waves or flat water - technique is very different and if it is waves you may find the radial sailors have better technique than you at the moment.

Are you making use of the shifts?

Remember there isn't much difference in a radial and full rig speed upwind anyway, especially in breeze. I can keep up with most full rig sailors upwind, its the reaches where you're much faster. One bad tack or bad shift and a radial sailed well will beat you up wind.

Sorry my english is not perfect, but still improving!!. Thanks for clarify it!!

Thanks for you help Sailorchick!
I'm worst upwind in waves, and even worst when the wind become stronger. I try to use shifts, but in strongwind I feel really confused.
I see that most of them can sail higher than me. I have to sail lower to reach the same speed, and this means that I loose ground.

Ideas are wellcome!!. Any way, I will dive in another posts in the forum to find out solutions.

Regards,
Macià