Preparation and Planning

I have copied below excerpts from an interview that I did with sailing professional Sam Haines about race and regatta preparation. Currently Sam is racing in the Etchells and their team has a boat in Europe as well as Australia. Sam has a vast sailing background and is a qualified sailmaker, having worked in the industry for 19 years. He had...

Prevent Sailing Breakdowns - This very handy list was created by good mate David Dellenbaugh as part of his excellent Speed and Smarts collection. https://www.speedandsmarts.com/ Sailing fast and smart is hard enough when your boat stays in one piece. But when something breaks, it can upset your entire rhythm and kill your speed. Therefore, you must view breakdowns as your enemy. Work hard...

Because Sailing is a complex sport, it's easy to get obsessed with little things that don't really matter. I have listed the key areas to work on that you should attend to, to ensure success. Your Attitude Self-confidence like most things in life is a major key to success. Listen to what others say but make sure that you map out...

    To get an insight into Assessing a Regatta Venue and Big Fleet Strategy, I spoke with Roger Blasse from Melbourne, Australia. Roger has won 11 National and 2 World championships in the OK dinghy and is also a front-running competitor in the International 14' skiff, a very technical development class. Brett: When you're going to a regatta, how long before...

.  Useful Tips For Racing Sailors to be at the front of the fleet. Boat Preparation - Useful Tips For Racing Sailors To win you must be the best prepared, and a lack of attention in this area can mean gear or boat breakages to be able to win you must be able to finish. Beyond that, you must have competitive equipment, efficient...

Tactician Responsibilities - Now What. Being the Tactician on your boat carries with it a lot of responsibility. Depending on the size of the boat and the number of team members, the way you handle the job will vary greatly. I have set out below some of the key methods and duties needed to be an effective Tactician. Only one person...

  This interview with Glenn Bourke to give us some insight into championship and regatta strategy. He will show us How to Approach a Regatta in Big or Small Fleets. Glenn is currently the CEO of the wildly successful Hamilton Island home of Hamilton Island race week. Not only is Glenn a successful businessman but he is a high-achieving competitive...

Find The Favoured End Without Instruments. Getting a great start in clear air can be the most important part of your race. Knowing the favoured end and determining how much it is favoured will help with your starting strategy. There are many considerations to ensure a great start. Consider current, where other boats are, the size of the fleet, wind...

Pre-Race Routines to Ensure Race Day Success Pre-Race Routine Your pre-start routine shouldn't be set in concrete and needs to be fine-tuned. Take into account the conditions, your freshness and any glaring weaknesses. Work on these in the time available.  Ideally, a three or four-hour gap between waking up and starting a race works best. This gives you time to get ready,...

Sailing is a sport where changes and small things can make a big difference to your end results. Small Things Can Have a Major Impact in a Race Make all your lines as short as possible, this reduces weight and minimizes the number of tangles you'll get. Use a magic marker or piece of tape to mark important settings on...