Night racing, if you haven't experienced it, is a far cry from your average club championship series in sailing. While the day races are all business, full of tactics and looking for visual signals, night racing is usually a little more laid back. Beer is most often involved, and crews are seldom pushed to their limits at night, but the competitive instinct is still there! With whole bottles of rum on the line at many sailing clubs around Australia, use these three tips to get the competitive edge during your next night race.

Before we disclose these secrets of the night, be warned that they all involve improving vision! Seeing at night isn't as simple as eating lots of carrots, it's all about using simple techniques to allow your eyes to adjust to the conditions. Racing in the dark is actually a game of who can see the best, with the better sailors able to see their sail trim, wind on the water and other yachts in the vicinity.

1: The best way to see more at night, is NOT to light the boat like a Christmas tree! The brighter the lights on your boat, the more your eyes rely on them, except if the light is red. Red light doesn't affect your night vision, that's why pilots, hunters and astronomers always use torches with a red filter! Pick up a waterproof hunting torch online for a few bucks, and use it to check telltales and trim. The difference is astounding.

2: Screens completely wreck your night vision. Sure, the plotter is handy, but perhaps think twice before booting it up at full brightness. A well known sailor was once overhead telling his mates that every night at sunset, he dims his instrument lights to maximum before turning them off, so there's no chance of turning them on, and instantly blinding himself.

3: Give your eyes time to adjust. It can take up to 40 minutes for your eyes to full dark adapt. Start off with the instruments and lights so dim, that you can barely see them. In 30 mins time you'll find they're plenty bright enough. Unless you've spent all day out in the sunlight! Belive it or not, excessive light or sunburn to the eye can reduce the effectiveness of your night vision for up to 7 days!

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