In sailing, like every other sport, practice makes perfect. It s not

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1 David Dellenbaugh s SPEED &smarts The newsletter of how-to tips for racing sailors July/Aug 2016 JH Peterson photo Practice drills, and philosophies In sailing, like every other sport, practice makes perfect. It s not impossible to win occasional races without doing much training, but consistent success in competitive events requires a certain amount of work to improve your racing skills. Most sailors are obviously not able to train every day as if they were heading to the Olympics. That s OK. But a lot of sailors could get better results if they spent just a little more time practicing. That s what this issue is all about. The next 15 pages contain a lot of ideas for running effective practices, including more than 30 specific drills you can use during your next training session or pre-race warmup. These drills are designed to be easy. They don t require a coach, a coachboat, any money or more than a couple marks. As you will see, the drills are organized according to the number of boats in your training session (1, 2 or 3+), so you aren t dependent on having other boats but you can include them if you want. The drills are also designed to be fun and challenging. My belief is that sailors learn the most when they enjoy what they are doing, so many exercises are presented as competitive games. Of course, the ultimate goal is for sailors to improve their skills, and thereby their results. That will make everyone feel good about the sport. Drill 1.6 uses a short windward-leeward figure eight (see page 6). There may be people who have more talent than you, but there s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do. Derek Jeter, NY Yankees ISSUE #139 PRACTICE DRILLS THEME Practice makes perfect...1 PREPARATION Training tips...2 ONE BOAT Drills for one boat...4 TWO BOATS...8 THREE OR MORE BOATS...12 DRILLS ON SHORE...14 FOLLOW UP...16 Many sailors think it s difficult to run good practice drills without a coach, but that s definitely not the case. It s true that a coach makes life easier. He or she can bring out and set the marks, take video, blow the whistle, and run your debrief. But most people can t afford a coach, and even if they could, it s not easy to find one that you like who is available on your schedule. That s why all the drills in this issue assume that you will be running practices without a coach or coachboat. All these exercises can be organized by sailors with one small mark they can carry in their sailboat, and a big desire to work hard and improve their racing skills. Speed & Smarts #

2 PRACTICE DRILLS: Philosophy and preparation Tips for organizing a good practice When it comes to training sessions, it s true that you usually get out of them what you put into them. If you simply head out one day without much forethought, it s likely you won t learn a lot. But if you devise a logical plan about what you want to accomplish and how best to do it, you ll increase your chances of success. There s a lot that must be done ahead of time for a good practice session: make a plan, find marks to bring out, decide whether you need a training partner, choose drills, organize your team, buy lunch and so on. No matter which specific drills you select, remember that the requirements for a successful training session remain the same: The exercises should be challenging for the sailors, and everyone should go home feeling like they had fun and improved their individual and team skills. Make it challenging and... When training is boring or repetitive, it s hard to maintain the enthusiasm needed to keep learning as much as possible. That s why you should always incorporate some fun into your practice sessions. If your team is not having fun, change what you are doing! Always try to do at least one new exercise or game during each practice session. This should be something fun that you have never done before. Include your entire crew in helping plan your training sessions. Ask each person to organize and run a particular exercise when they are part of the planning they will be more involved. Begin with an organized plan Just as you shouldn t start a race without a strategic plan in mind, you shouldn t sail out for a training session without some goals and a good idea of how you plan to accomplish them. Don t just pick a few drills that sound good. First, you should have a long-term plan of what your team is trying to accomplish. For example, you may have decided to work on boatspeed this season. Or if you have a relatively new team, you may be spending most of your time practicing boathandling. With your overall plan in mind, figure out how the upcoming training session fits into the big picture. For example, you may want to spend the session working only on spinnaker sets and takedowns. Or perhaps you will be fine-tuning your upwind speed with another boat. Finally, select some drills that you think will help you accomplish your goals for that session. If you plan to work on starting skills, for example, you might try a combination of Timed Runs (Drill 1.1) and Slow-Speed Starting (Drill 1.3). Quality, not quantity Training sessions don t have to be long to be valuable what s important is how well you use your time. Most of the teams I ve coached in the last few years would much rather do a focused session of 2.5 hours than a rambling afternoon that lasts 4 hours or longer. That s at least partly because there is a point of diminishing returns as sailors get more and more tired. Shorter sessions with a defined cutoff time tend to keep sailors more attentive and willing to work hard while they are on the water. So always err on the side of quality over quantity. BYOM (Bring your own marks) The goal of this issue is to explain a bunch of practice drills that you can do on your own, without a coach. Since many of the drills described inside require one or two marks, this means you have to bring your own buoys. This is actually not too difficult. Use one buoy that is already anchored in your training area (e.g. a government navigational aid). Since you seldom find two permanent buoys lined up with the wind, bring one mark on your boat (I recommend a small inflatable orange buoy and mushroom anchor). Set this mark relative to the permanent buoy as needed for each drill. You can usually find a channel buoy to use as one end of a start line or a windward/leeward mark. 2 Practice drills

3 Incorporate competition into your training Sailboat racers are, by and large, a competitive group of people so it makes sense to bring this spirit into some or all of your practice sessions. By turning drills into competitive games you can make any training session more fun and keep sailors focused more intensely and for a longer period of time. Here are some ideas on how to do that: 1. Compete with yourself. If you don t have another boat to compete against, use your own team and the clock. Here are some things you could try: time to do one or two circles (see below); time from Hoist call until your spinnaker is filled; how long your crewmembers can stay fully hiked; if you have a knotmeter, what is the least amount of speed you lose in a tack; etc. 2. Compete against another boat(s). It s relatively easy to set up competitions against one or more other boats because that is what we normally do in races. Try to compete in certain isolated skills that you are working on such as: who can do eight tacks fastest; who can turn more quickly around an oval (see Drill 2.1); who is fastest upwind on port tack; etc. Practice Two-Turn Penalties One fun challenge is to see how quickly you can spin two circles. You can compete with yourself by doing this against the clock, or with another boat by starting turns at the same time and seeing who gets done first. Switch on or off? Here s a technique I learned a while back (while training for the America s Cup) that helps keep sailors focused during training sessions. Explain to your team that there will be only two modes during your practice time either switch on or switch off. When the switch is on, they are to be focused 100% on whatever drill you are doing, as if you re in the critical part of a race. When the switch is off, they can relax, eat, drink and talk with each other about what happened the night before. Too many teams blur the line here as a result they are not focused entirely on each drill, and they don t get enough time to completely relax. Just be very clear at all times whether the switch is on or off. Be your own coach One of the most valuable skills that any sailor can have is the ability to act as his or her own coach. Most sailors aren t lucky enough to have an actual coach, so they must perform this function themselves. It s not easy because you need the competitive passion of a sailor and the calm demeanor of a coach. But you can definitely get better at this over time, especially if you practice by coaching other sailors occasionally. Here I am in my coachboat at the 2012 Olympics in England. I ve spent a lot of time around coaches and I know how valuable a good coach can be. But when I m racing I seldom have a coach, and I know it s very possible to be successful when you are coaching yourself. Speed & Smarts #139 3

4 PRACTICE DRILLS: One boat Ideas for training by yourself You must always be prepared to practice by yourself. It s great whenever you can arrange to have another boat train with you, but often this is impractical, so you need to be self-sufficient. There are quite a few constructive things you can do when no other boats are around. This is a good time to work on boat- and sail-handling maneuvers like tacks, sets, jibes and takedowns. It s also a perfect time to practice specific skills like accelerations, time-and-distance drills or how to turn your boat. When you re alone, you should take care of anything that requires much talking or explaining among members of your crew. That is not the kind of thing you want to do while you have another boat waiting for you. Also, sailing by yourself is not a good time to work on boatspeed or tactics since you need other boats around for comparison. 1.1 Timed runs The ability to know how far you ll travel in certain amounts of time at various speeds is a key skill for getting off the starting line in the front row. Therefore, you should work on this regularly. One simple exercise that I have used at the highest levels of coaching is what I call a 5- or 10-minute timed run. All you need is one buoy and a watch set at 5 or 10 minutes. The goal is to be at full speed with your bow at the mark each time the watch counts down to the next minute. Start by doing this on a reach on both tacks. When you can do this consistently, approach the mark on a closehauled course. Go as far away from it as possible in the time you have, try to call the layline perfectly, sail at full speed upwind and see how close your bow is to the mark when you hit the next minute. This is also good for a pre-race warm-up. 1.2 Time-and-distance game #1 There are many ways you can practice your timeand-distance skills in a sailboat, and often it s fun to make a game out of it. When you re sailing to or from the course area, ask everyone on your team to guess how long it will take to get to a certain point ahead (e.g. a government navigational buoy). Give the winner a prize, or at least a little recognition. This is a great activity because it s fun and helps you use your time constructively. You can play this game whenever the boat is moving, even if you re in the harbor or motoring. How long will it take them to get to that crab pot buoy? 1.3 Slow-speed starting The start is a critical part of any race, and one key to getting a good start (for small, lighter boats) is the ability to control your boat at slow speeds as you approach the line. You can improve your ability to do this with a range of exercises using one buoy. Hold position The goal of this exercise is to keep your boat in one position as long as possible without moving forward or to leeward. Begin this by parking your boat next to a mark on a heading that is somewhere between closehauled and head to wind. Using a combination of sail trim and rudder movement, try to keep the boat in this spot. Figure out what works best. Distance needed to accelerate from no speed to full speed Practice accelerating From a luffing position close to the mark, accelerate to full speed on a closehauled course. The goals are to: 1) get to speed as quickly as possible; and 2) find out how long (in time and space) this takes. The ability to accelerate is critical for getting off the line, so experiment with how to do this. It s also key to know how long it takes to accelerate so you know where to position yourself and when to sheet in. Note these are affected a lot by wind and waves. Do-si-do If you re feeling very good about your low-speed boathandling skills, try this: Park next to the buoy and try to maneuver around it (staying as close as possible) without jibing. 4 Practice drills

5 1.4 Boathandling warm-ups These exercises are great for a team warm-up any time. They require two buoys set on the same ladder rung (like a short starting line). Begin with the buoys far enough apart so you have plenty of time to prepare for each rounding maneuver (especially if it s windy). There are two goals here: 1) to keep as much speed as possible through the turns; and 2) to find the shortest, fastest course around each buoy. One key to success is using primarily sail trim and crew weight to turn the boat. This allows you to turn the rudder less, which reduces drag and helps you maintain better speed. While you work on speed through the turns, also focus on steering around the buoys. Cut each mark as close as possible without touching it, and experiment with the radius of your turn to see what s the best way to maintain speed. (Check out Drill 2.1 for a way to measure how well you are doing.) As you get better at handling your boat through this exercise, move the buoys closer and closer together. Oval Loop Start by rounding each mark to port in a counter-clockwise path. This way you will practice making one tack and one jibe in the normal direction. Tacking Figure 8 Once you are confident on the oval (top), move to a figure 8 where you tack around both marks. This path is more challenging because it requires you to make a sharper turn around each buoy. It s great practice for tacking quickly around a mark and then immediately bearing off. 1.5 Crew musical chairs If you re a helmsperson, do you know every move your bow person makes in a set, jibe and douse? If you re a trimmer, do you know exactly what the helm feels like when the boat has too much, or too little, windward helm? A big part of good teamwork is understanding what the other members of your team are doing. And a great way to learn this is by trading places during a practice session (or even during a race!). I recommend switching only two people at a time. If you race a twoperson boat, that s all you can do. If you have three or more crew, it can be confusing to put everyone in new positions at the same time. Instead, switch just two (e.g. main trimmer and bow person), and leave everyone else in their usual positions. If you have enough time, rotate every crew member into each position on the boat, and discuss what you learned in that day s debrief. I can see a lot more now than when I m back there steering! It s a lot easier to hear everyone when I m back here. Jibing Figure 8 When you are tired of tacking around the marks, switch to jibes. This is a great chance to practice your approach to (and the way you turn around) a leeward mark; it s also good for the boathandling moves required for jibing. Speed & Smarts #139 A helmsman - bowperson switch! 5

6 PRACTICE DRILLS: One boat A 1.6 Mini windward-leewards B This is a great warm-up exercise that s slightly different than the oval or figure 8. Set up two marks so they re just a few boatlengths apart on a windward-leeward axis. In Drill A, round both marks to port as you would when sailing a typical W-L course (but without a spinnaker!). The focus here is finding the fastest course around each mark and picking the right layline for that approach. In Drill B, round the windward mark to port and the leeward mark to starboard (as if it was the right-hand gate mark). This is a challenging exercise because you must do a jibe right after the windward mark and a tack right after the leeward mark, both of which require different approaches to each mark. 1.8 The shrinking loop The basic windward-leeward course is a standard go-to drill for practice sessions, but it can become pretty boring. For a bit of variety try this: Anchor the leeward mark as usual; then put the windward mark in place without an anchor (but use some type of sea anchor to keep it from drifting too fast). Then sail to windward and leeward around the buoys as usual. The unique thing about this exercise is that the wind pushes the windward mark toward the leeward mark, so the legs get shorter each lap. This makes boathandling more and more of a challenge as the drill goes on. Keep using your chute until the marks get too close together; then stop, take a break and review Run silent Here s something you would never do in a race, but it makes a great exercise. Pick any drill that involves some tacking and other boathandling maneuvers (a simple windward-leeward course is good), and explain it to your team. Then tell everyone that you are going to do this drill without any talking. The goal is for crewmembers to focus on non-verbal ways of anticipating what the boat will do next (e.g. sense of feel, awareness of tactical/strategic situation). Execute the drill without saying a word, and then have a group discussion about 1) the value of clear verbal communication, and 2) how to function effectively without any communication. A variation on this drill is the complete opposite: Ask every crew member to verbalize a stream of consciousness about what is happening during the drill. Then discuss how to find a happy medium between the two. 6 As the unanchored windward mark drifts to leeward, the legs get shorter and boathandling becomes increasingly more challenging. This is also a good way to simulate current going against the wind at the windward mark. Practice drills

7 1.9 Sail rudderless Most sailors use their rudder too much for steering. Any time the rudder angles off center it creates drag and slows you down. Work on this by removing your rudder (if possible) and practicing how to turn the boat using only the sails and your weight. For a fun challenge, set up a short course and sail around it Sail without seeing Racing sailors rely heavily on their sense of sight, which makes a lot of sense. But this also means they often don t pay enough attention to their other senses, especially feel. Work on this by sailing with a blindfold or with your eyes closed. Tune in to the feel of the boat and what this tells you about its performance. Let every crew member give this a try. If we jibe we will be heading toward the big yellow tree The layline game This is a fun guessing contest that will help you make better layline calls while racing. Every time you are planning to tack or jibe during your training session, ask your teammates to estimate the layline you will be on after the maneuver. In other words, once you change tacks, where will you be heading? Use other boats or objects on shore as reference marks for your new course. For example, you might say, After tacking we will be fetching that blue motorboat to windward. Or, After jibing we ll be aiming just to the left of the red bell buoy. If you wait to call laylines only when you re headed toward actual marks you won t get much practice at all, so make this game a constant theme during training sessions. It s also fun! If we tack we will be heading toward the small red house. Speed & Smarts #139 7

8 PRACTICE DRILLS: Two boats Ideas for training with one other boat The chance to participate in a training session with another boat is extremely valuable, so look for any opportunity to do this. A second boat 1) allows you to compare your performance to theirs, which is key for improving boatspeed; 2) makes it possible for you to start working on boat-to-boat tactics; 3) provides the chance for competition; and 4) brings in a whole new perspective on tuning, trim, boathandling, etc. However, training with two boats requires a level of communication and coordination that isn t needed when sailing by yourself. You must keep both teams focused so you don t waste scarce and precious training time. I highly recommend meeting beforehand so both teams can discuss their goals for the training session and the specific exercises they d like to do. Once you go on the water, use radios to communicate! 2.1 Warm-up boathandling games When you have two boats there are lots of fun exercises you can do to get warmed up and build a bit of competitive spirit. One of my favorites is to use Drills 1.4 and 1.6 with two boats instead of one. Start the drill with each boat just outside one of the marks. The goal is to chase and catch the other boat. This gives you good, immediate feedback on whether you are using good turning technique and carving the best path around the marks. B A 2.2 Starting a tactical drill with two boats When you are planning a tactical or strategic exercise that involves two boats, the best way to begin is usually with a classic rabbit start. This approach has several benefits: 1) it s easy to organize without wasting a lot of time; 2) it puts the boats close together at the beginning of the drill; and 3) it simulates a situation that happens all the time while racing. Here are some notes on how to make this work. 8 Rabbit Rabbit start To set up a rabbit start, the two boats should be luffing, at least several boatlengths apart, on roughly the same ladder rung. The boat to the right (the Rabbit ) trims in first and starts sailing closehauled on starboard tack. The other boat then trims in on port tack, bears off to duck behind the rabbit and heads up to a closehauled course. Now the tactical/strategic drill begins. It is also possible for the rabbit to start on port tack, but your default should be for the rabbit to always begin on starboard tack unless told otherwise; this way there is less chance of confusion. Also, a similar rabbit start can be used to begin a downwind drill. Slow Rabbit (with sails luffing) Slow rabbit P Sometimes when you re training you d like to start a drill with the boats bow to bow (e.g. Drill 2.6). The problem with a rabbit start is that the rabbit begins the drill at least one boatlength ahead of the ducking boat (P). Fix this by using a slow rabbit. This begins just like a normal rabbit start, but the rabbit luffs her sails while she crosses P. As soon as P s bow reaches the rabbit s wake, the rabbit trims in. By the time she reaches full speed the boats should be even. Practice drills

9 JH Peterson photo 2.3 Two-boat testing upwind Whenever you have a chance to train with another boat, one of the most valuable exercises is a side-by-side boatspeed test. By sailing alongside your training partner, you will learn a lot about the boats relative performance, and you ll have a great chance to work on and improve your speed and pointing. Getting an accurate measurement of speed is possible only when you have another boat nearby, so make efficient use of the time when you have a chance. This exercise is a perfect example of how two boats can work together to help each other improve. Before you start speed-testing with two boats, make a plan for your training session. Discuss what will you be testing, how long you will sail together and so on. Also, I highly recommend using a handheld radio on each boat. Even though you can often get close enough to talk, there will be a lot of times when you ll want to communicate from farther away. Ideal position for upwind speed tuning The key to successful two-boat testing is starting with the boats in the proper position. In most cases you want them about 2 or 3 boatlengths apart, with the leeward boat anywhere from bow-even to one boatlength ahead. This position keeps both boats close enough so they are usually in the same breeze, but it puts them far enough apart so they have enough room to sail their normal fast upwind course. Try to sail on both tacks long enough to see if there are any differences in speed. Ideally you should switch positions so each boat is to leeward and to windward about half the time. Between tests, talk with your crew and the other boat s crew about what you observed. You should not usually start or continue a speed test when the boats are in any of the positions shown here. If the leeward boat (A) is too advanced, it will be hard for B to hold her lane. If the windward boat (D) is too advanced it will be tough for C to avoid being rolled. A NO B C D NO 2.4 Starting a speed drill with two boats Two is the perfect number of boats when you re trying to test boatspeed. To get in the right position, both boats should begin by luffing on roughly the same ladder rung. One of them will most likely be behind the ideal position described above. This boat should trim in and start sailing upwind. Once this boat gets close to the right position, the other boat trims in and they go off together. The Rabbit Start option: You can also start a twoboat speed test with a rabbit start see page 12. Speed & Smarts #139 3 A good speed test. 3 The Blue boat starts off in a position (1) that is too advanced, so she slows and the Purple boat sails fast. Once Purple gets to the right testing position (2), Blue trims in and goes. Purple is now in a good position for speed testing, so Blue trims her sails to get going. Purple sees that 2 Blue is advanced so Purple trims her sails to get going

10 JH Peterson photo PRACTICE DRILLS: Two boats 2.5 The Chase Race This is a fun and challenging version of the basic windward-leeward boathandling drill. By making this a competition between two boats you get to practice maneuvers under pressure, and you have a good chance to measure how your team s speed and boathandling compare to the other boat. There are at least two good ways to begin this game and two ways to structure how long it lasts. How to begin Use a rabbit start near the leeward mark. This could be a normal rabbit or a slow rabbit (if you want the boats to start bow-to-bow). Switch rabbit positions each time you begin a new chase. Follow-the-leader around one of the marks. Start the boats on a reach, one right behind the other, go around either mark and begin racing. How to end Agree on a certain number of laps (e.g. one or two) and stop the chase just after both boats round the leeward mark. Agree to keep going for a certain amount of time (e.g. 10 minutes or the length of a typical race). If boats get far apart during the game, you could also agree to have the leader do a Two-Turns Penalty (or two) to make it close again. The boat that is behind chases the other boat and tries to pass them. WIND 2.6 Close encounters Here s an upwind drill that we use a lot when training for match racing, but it s great for fleet racers too. The goal of this exercise is to give each boat a lot of practice in situations where two boats sailing closehauled converge with each other on opposite tacks. Begin this drill with a slow rabbit the object is to have the boats even with each other going upwind so that when they come together they are roughly bow-to-bow. After the rabbit start, each boat should sail for a maximum of 20 seconds before tacking. Then they must decide what to do when coming together. This is a great way to practice ducking a starboard tacker, tacking into a leebow position, judging whether or not you are crossing, and so on. Once the boats make a maneuver, they repeat the drill by sailing for no more than 20 seconds, tacking and converging again. If either boat crosses cleanly ahead (or if both boats end up on the same tack), stop and re-start the drill with a slow rabbit. Be sure to switch positions frequently so each boat has a lot of chances to converge on both port and starboard tacks. Don t go more than about 15 or 20 seconds before tacking and coming back together. Slow Rabbit 10 Practice drills

11 2.7 Musical crews When you are training by yourself you can play musical chairs by swapping your own crewmembers into different positions (see Drill 1.5). When you have two boats, you can actually switch crewmembers between boats! It s hard to over-state the potential value of doing this. By switching into another boat, you will learn how another team communicates, handles their boat and trims their sails. A lot of this is bound to be different from the way your team does it, and hopefully you will go back to your boat with new ideas on how to sail faster and more smoothly. Plus, if you switch helmspersons during a speed test you ll have a good indication whether speed differences are due to the boat itself or the way it s being sailed. 2.8 Dueling circles Sometimes it s fun to include a few 360 circles in your training session. This helps you prepare for taking penalty turns, of course, and it s also a great way to practice the skills you need for turning your boat while maintaining speed. To make this exercise more challenging (and to get immediate feedback on your circles), try doing it in competition with your training partner. Start by sailing on a reach, one boat behind the other. Then make a sound signal, have both boats do a circle as quickly as possible and compare Hold your lane drill The standard position for two-boat testing (see Drill 2.3) works well for comparing upwind speed, but you often don t have such clear lanes while racing, so it s smart to practice sailing closer to other boats. One way to set this up is with a rabbit start the boat that ducks sails about one or two lengths beyond the rabbit, tacks and tries to maintain this position as long as possible. When the ducker falls into the rabbit s bad air, stop the drill and start over, switching positions. Do this on both tacks. This is a good exercise for learning the adjustments you need to make to survive in a thin lane. Thin lane Also try doing two turns. It s harder to maintain speed, and you ll see a bigger difference between boats. Sometimes it s good to put yourself in difficult positions while training so you will be better able to deal with these while racing. 2.9 Do a strategic split Before a race it s important to figure out which side of the course is favored, but this is difficult to do by yourself. That s why, on race days, it s helpful to have a partner to test the course. Begin with a rabbit start near the starting line, and sail toward opposite sides of the beat. Then both boats tack at the same time and sail back together until they see who s ahead. You should also do splits downwind, especially on boats that sail wide angles, since this will give you a better idea about pressure differences. Try this on practice days as well to improve your ability to predict which side will be favored Match racing Training with two boats is a perfect chance to do some one-versus-one match racing. You can begin with an actual match-race start, or just go with a rabbit start; then race around a short windward-leeward course. Match racing is a fun game by itself, but it s also a great way to prepare for fleet racing. Even when you are in a large fleet, you re almost always near one or two other boats if you can take control of those situations you will be much more successful overall. Speed & Smarts #139 11

12 PRACTICE DRILLS: Three or more boats Ideas for training with multiple boats When you add a third or fourth boat to a training session, you can try a range of new drills that are closer to actual racing. Multiple boats are better for starting drills, simulated races and certain games. However, once you go beyond two boats you have an added layer of complexity that is even more difficult to manage than going from one boat to two. If you re doing a speed test with three boats, for example, it s hard to keep this many boats lined up in clear air. If one boat falls behind, the other two have a choice: 1) keep going (which is bad for the third boat); or 2) reset the drill (which can be costly time-wise). The way your group handles this will be very telling. The bottom line is that success comes only if you work especially hard at communication and coordination. 3.1 Speed testing with three or more boats When boats want to do an upwind speed test they normally line up in pairs, but it s certainly possible to accomplish the same goals if you have three (or more) boats training together. The easiest way to get multiple boats lined up in the proper position is with a normal rabbit start. Pick one boat as the rabbit (this boat can sail on either tack), and have the other boats duck her; then the Rabbit tacks. In order to avoid a bad lineup (which wastes time), it s important that the duckers are at full speed, not too close to each other, and very close to the Rabbit when they pass behind her. A few other notes: Make sure you rotate positions from test to test. Being in the middle is usually the hardest spot, so this boat typically loses more tests than the others. With more than two boats, it s relatively easy for one of them to fall into the bad air of another. As soon as this happens, stop the test and do another rabbit start. It s a waste of time when any boat cannot sail at full speed. If you want to simulate the typical speed line-up that happens right after the start, have the rabbit begin on port tack with other boats ducking on starboard. After the Rabbit crosses the last boat and goes just far enough to have a good lane to windward, she tacks Fight for the ends A fleet of three or four boats is just big enough to simulate the fighting for position that usually happens at each end of the starting line, so take advantage of this opportunity. Even if you don t normally set up near an end, it s good to work on the skills that are needed to start there since these will help you anywhere along the line. Start this exercise by creating a starting line with one end favored by 5 to 10. Then do a bunch of starts (I suggest using a two- or three-minute rolling countdown) where the goal is to get the best start at the favored end (getting a good conservative start is not part of this drill). To add a bit of competition, keep track of how many times each boat gets the best start at the boat and pin ends. Starting line Committee boat favored Every boat fights to get the best start at the windward end of the line. When you set the starting line, the length doesn t matter (if you have only one mark available you can use a point on shore for the pin end), but favor the boat end by at least 5 so the boats that start there have a clear advantage as they come off the line. Starting line The Rabbit can start on either port or starboard tack, depending on which way you want the boats to go first. Rabbit The boats that duck the rabbit should space themselves far enough apart so they can keep sailing for at least a few minutes. Pin end favored Every boat fights to get the best start at the leeward end of the line. The boat that starts closest to the pin doesn t necessarily have the best start if she is slow and pinching to get around the buoy, the next boat up may be better off. 12 Practice drills

13 A A Windward mark 3.3 The ordered rounding game Here s a game that simulates a run, or a beat that begins with rounding a leeward mark. Start by giving each boat a letter of the alphabet (or use their sail number). The idea is to have the boats round a windward or leeward mark in order (e.g. A, B, C) within a boatlength of each other. Then they race to the next mark. The boat that rounded in first places tries to stay in that position. The boat that rounded third tries to pass one or both boats. And the boat that rounded second must decide whether she will aim to pass the boat ahead, stay in front of the boat behind, or try to do both. Once the boats round the mark at the end of that leg the drill is over. Begin the next drill as soon as possible. If the first race was a run, this will be a beat (and vice versa). This time change the order by moving the first boat to the end (e.g. if the first leg was A,B,C this one will start out B,C,A). Keep repeating this and changing the order so every boat gets to sail runs and beats in all fleet positions. If you want to make this game competitive, give each boat a + or - for the number of boats they gain or lose in each drill, and add them up at the end to see which team has the best score overall. Leeward mark C B B C 3.5 Monkey in the middle This drill is used often by team racers, but it s also great for any sailors who want to improve the skills needed for good boathandling and fleet management. You don t need any marks for this exercise just three boats sailing upwind toward an imaginary windward mark. The goal of the drill is for the boats in first and third place (at any moment) to work together to get the third-place boat ahead of the second-place boat. The second-place boat tries to stay ahead of the third-place boat as long as she can. As soon as positions change, the drill starts over with new roles based on the new positions. Boat 1 Goal is to help Boat 3 get ahead of Boat 2 as quickly as possible. Boat 2 Goal is to stay ahead of Boat 3 as long as possible. Boat 3 Goal is to get ahead of Boat 2 as quickly as possible. Note that the numbers (1,2,3) refer to each boat s position in the fleet at any particular moment; if the Purple boat moves ahead of the Red boat, Purple becomes the new 2, Red is now 3 and the drill continues based on those positions. Try 2 v 2 Monkey-in-the-middle works only with three boats; if you have four, try 2 versus 2 team racing where the team with the last-place boat loses. 1 2 WIND Three-way strategic split Here s another exercise that can be very helpful strategically when you re getting ready to start a race. The goal is to figure out which side of the first beat will be better. You can do this with two boats (see Drill 2.9), but that method is limited because you can only compare the far left to the far right. With three (or more) boats you can compare the left, right and the middle. Begin with a rabbit start near the starting line. The rabbit (on starboard) goes all the way to the left. The first boat to duck sails on port tack all the way to the right. The second (and any successive) ducker plays the middle. This will give you a better evaluation of your options. Speed & Smarts #139 The Rabbit keeps going on the same tack toward that side of the course The second (and any other) boat to duck the Rabbit plays the middle of the course as best they can The first boat to duck the Rabbit continues on the same tack all the way to that side 13

14 PRACTICE DRILLS: On shore Ideas for training on land Most of your valuable training time happens while you are on the water, of course, but that doesn t mean you can t improve your skills at other times. Sailors often spend many hours on shore, waiting for the wind to pick up or die down, or just hanging around before or after racing. Most of this is low-key relaxation time, but some of it can be used efficiently to make your team better. Whenever you have free time together and you can t go sailing, consider reviewing your notes and videos from recent training sessions. There is always something you can discuss to make things go a little more smoothly when you get back on the water. If you d like an activity that s a bit more unusual and fun, consider the ones described here. These are exercises you can do alone or with your entire team; they re good for sharpening certain skills, and they help with team building as well! They may also give you ideas for other creative things you can do ashore. SPEED&smarts #139 Speed & Smarts (ISSN ) is published by Four Winds Inc. PO Box 435, Easton, CT USA Phone: or Fax: Web site: FB: SpeedandSmarts@optonline.net Publisher: David Dellenbaugh Office manager: Joanne DeLuca 2016 Speed & Smarts No part of this issue may be given to others or reproduced, except subscribers may copy or print pages for their own personal use. We offer two versions of Speed & Smarts: (PDF) or Paper. version available everywhere for $38/year ($66 for 2 years). Paper version only in the U.S. ($48/year) and Canada ($US 53/year) Speed & Smarts is published bi-monthly, issues are numbered sequentially, and issue dates are approximate. Code for free access to the Subscribers Corner at CornerTips14 How long will it take us to get to that traffic light up ahead? 4.1 Time-and-distance game #2 You definitely don t have to be on the water to improve your time-and-distance judgment. Any time you are moving from one place to another (by car, train, foot, etc.) it s a great opportunity to play a guessing game with yourself or with your traveling companion(s). A few examples: You are walking your dog. How long will it take you to reach the church you can see on the next block (assuming your dog keeps a steady pace)? You re biking with a friend. A few hundred yards ahead you see a bridge. Make a bet about how long it will take you to pass under that bridge. You see a plane flying across the sky overhead. How long will it take the plane to reach that puffy white cloud to the east? You re driving a car on a straight highway. At what landmark will you be in 10 seconds? The easiest way for a bowperson to learn certain techniques with the spinnaker pole is to practice them when you have no sails set and there is not any time pressure. 4.2 Dry run at the dock You don t actually have to be sailing to practice many of the sailhandling maneuvers that all crews must make during the course of a race. There are a number of things that your team can practice while sitting or standing in your boat at the dock, mooring or on its trailer. These include: 1) setting, jibing and retracting the spinnaker pole; 2) hiking; 3) step-by-step moves to cross the boat in a tack; 4) the proper way to use a winch; 5) how the helmsperson switches hands during a tack; and 6) packing and hoisting the spinnaker. Be creative with this. You might, for example, practice jibing by tying the stern of your boat to a mooring and hoisting the chute. 14 Practice drills

15 4.3 Practice your line sights One of the keys to getting a good start is knowing exactly where the starting line is located. You don t want to be over the line (OCS) or too far below it (caught in the sag). The best way to judge the line is by getting a line sight that involves a range through one end of the line to a marker on shore. Here s a good way to practice line sights while you re on land; this drill will also help you judge the line when you have no line sight available. The idea is to find two tall objects (e.g. trees, telephone poles, lightposts, flag poles) and pretend these are the ends of the starting line. Then walk around and try to position yourself right on a straight line between the two objects. Try it first without using any range markers; then use a line sight. Repeat this process as many times as possible, using new objects for the ends of the line each time. Bill X X Sue Jean X X Straight line between trees Bobby Boat end Pin end TRY THIS: Find two trees (or other vertical objects) that are easily visible from each other and about as far apart as your average starting line. Ask each of your crew members to walk between the trees and stand on the line that goes straight from tree to tree. Site from one tree along this line and tell your crew how they did. Then start over (using the same trees) and allow them to use a line sight for position. Hopefully they will end up right on the line! Repeat this process several times. 4.4 Estimate three boatlengths! One of the hardest things to do on the race course is judge the position of the zone around a mark. It was tough enough when the zone had a radius of only two boatlengths; now that the zone is three boatlengths it s even harder to locate. Bill Jean Sue Bobby 3 boatlengths TRY THIS: Grab an inflated mark and take it to a large open space such as a parking lot. Place the mark on the ground, and ask each of your crew members to estimate a distance of three boatlengths from the mark. They can indicate their guesses by standing there or by marking their spot with chalk or a stick. Then, using a tape measure, draw an arc showing the actual location of the zone based on the size of your boat. Discuss the challenge of doing this on the water. Move the mark to another location and repeat. Mark TRY THIS: Find an extra mark and fasten it to a spot on your club s lawn or dock. Then draw a circle around it (or just identify a spot if you don t have room for a circle) with a radius of three boatlengths. This will give you a great, constant visual reminder about the size of the zone. Do this for a weekend regatta, or leave it there for the entire racing season! Also, you can add markers to show the zones for boats of any size that race at your club (see below). For match racers or team racers, use a zone that is two lengths; for model boat racers, use four lengths. Mark 3 boatlengths Speed & Smarts #139 15

16 SPEED&smarts P.O. Box 435, Easton, CT To renew your sub or give a gift: Subscribers get: 20% off all Gift subscriptions, Back issues and Bundles 2016 Speed & Smarts All the material in this (and every other) issue of Speed & Smarts is copyrighted. Giving this material to other people is prohibited. PRACTICE DRILLS: Follow up Reinforce what you learn One big advantage of hiring a coach is that he or she is always watching you, making notes and forcing you to think about what you have just learned. Without a coach, you have to do all this yourself. It s definitely do-able, but requires a good bit of discipline, organization and follow up. The key is making a commitment as a team to learn as much as possible each time you go sailing. This means talking between drills, having a debrief after every training session, and sharing online so every team member has ongoing access to video and notes about what you learned. Many teams organize solid training sessions but don t follow up very well. Any practice time is helpful, but it s so much more valuable when you make a joint effort to reinforce what you learned. Here are a couple good ways to do that. 5.1 Make notes while training One of the best tools a sailor can have is a small notebook with waterproof pages that lives in a handy place near your cockpit. I recommend buying a couple of these and assigning the job of scribe to one of your team members. This person s job is to take notes before, during and after each training session. These notes should include: - Things you learned - Ideas for future training - Boat work to be done - Anything else to remember Make sure you have a process for handling these notes after practice. They should be included in the team s debrief, of course, and maybe the scribe can them to all crew members afterward. 5.2 Videotape your practice Video is a great tool that all sailors should use for several reasons: 1. Video gives you an accurate account of your training session. Sometimes the hard part is simply remembering what you did during practice. This is not a problem if you recorded the session the video provides a great chronological outline for debriefs. 2. Video is a great way to analyze boathandling maneuvers. Good boathandling requires precise crew movements, and these are easy to see in video. You can use slow motion, replay each move as many times as you want and easily compare one maneuver to any other maneuver. 3. Video is easy to take and simple to share. Today s generation of small cameras (e.g. GoPro) can be mounted almost anywhere to show exactly what you want. Simply turn the camera on and go sailing. After training it s easy to upload the video to your computer or a web site (e.g. Dropbox) and let all crew members view it. 16 Practice drills