North Sails One Design

Preparation Happens All the Time

Article by Brian Bissell

Preparation sounds like something that happens before a race right? You buff up your hull and redo all your sailties and put on sunscreen. Those are all part of preparation, but you might be surprised to think about preparation in a new way: You are ALWAYS preparing for something. Whether it’s the next tack or the next regatta, you should always be preparing. Let’s think of a couple different ways to prepare, starting with the one that’s most obvious: preparing before a race to make your first beat game plan.

Preparation Before a Race

Start the day by reading the weather forecast and talking to locals about the breeze. The kinds of things you want to ask are, “Is the wind supposed to pick up or die? Is the wind supposed to shift directions? Is the current supposed to change over the day?” By learning about the day on land, you can think about it on the way to the race course.

Try to reach the race course about an hour early so you can do all kinds of preparation. You want to check out the wind so you know how to set up your sails and mast rake. Check the current to think about which way you’re going to get pushed across the starting line and the race course. Test with a friend to find the favored side of the course. (See the article on testing to find out how to do this!). Find your marks, because it’s totally embarrassing to go to the wrong one! A great way to prepare is to just hang out near the line for a bit and soak in all the info you’ve discovered in the past hour. By then you might have a good idea of which side of the course you like.

Let’s think about the starting line for awhile because this is a really important part of preparation. Everybody has their favorite way to check for the favored end: Some people head into the wind and see which end of the starting line is closer to the bow. Some people see which end of the line the flags are pointing to. Some test with a friend, and some just sail at both ends and see which one feels better. Hopefully, after looking for a favored end you can decide where to start.

But preparation isn’t always about just before the race. During the race, you’re always preparing for the next leg or the next move. The best sailors take a moment to think ahead and decide where they want to go next. If you’re not thinking ahead, those guys that do are going to control your race. Read “Preparation During a Race” to see more ways to stay in control of your destiny.

Preparation During a Race

So you’ve done your homework before the race. You’ve tested and heard the weather and found the favored end of the line. You’ve done a great job so far so keep going! Always be thinking ahead to make a plan, even after the race has started.

Say you’re almost to the top mark of the first beat. You know a ton about the course because you did such great preparation. If you’re up in front, you can’t just settle for your initial plan, you have to keep reading the course and finding new ways to make sure you keep doing well. If you’re lagging behind, don’t give up! You’ve got tons more opportunities to pass boats! Either way, you’ve got work to do.

If you noticed one side worked out really well, think about whether that means there has been a big wind shift. Let’s say the left side paid and there was a big old lefty- you can see it because port is really lifted. What does this mean for the next leg? If you’re going for a reach on starboard, it means the low lane is going to be really tough because starboard is headed and tight- that is nice and fast in the high lane and blanketed in the low lane. If you’re going for a run dead-downwind in this left-hand shift you know starboard is headed, and you want to stay on the headed gybe downwind. Don’t forget about the current. If it’s ripping one side to another, think about fighting it first so you can ride it in at the mark.

If there was a course change or a big shift downwind, maybe you might change which gate you want to round, or which tack you like better after the mark. At the marks you have a lot of factors to consider for your next move: Is the current going to be better on one side? Is one tack nice and lifted? Is there a ton of traffic you’d be better off avoiding? You should ask yourself these questions at every juncture in the race. It’s ok to change your plan- just make sure you have good reasons for what you do.

Also think about your competition. Don’t dwell on the fact that Johnny is ahead of you and that’s not fair because you beat him last year, but just be aware of how to manage your crosses and decisions that involve other boats. Think about which side you’d like to protect. Ask yourself, “Do I really want to slam tack Suzy?” Maybe that will force her out to a good side and then she might pass you. Your boat-to-boat maneuvers are important, and this is another thing you have to think about during a race. You are preparing for each move by thinking ahead and weighing your options. Read “Preparation after a Race” to see how to learn from the decisions you made during the day.

Preparation After a Race: HUH?

Ok this one sounds totally weird. How do you prepare AFTER a race? Well guess what? You’re doing it right now! By reading up on sailing and learning more, you are preparing for the next regatta. There are all kinds of helpful tips in Optinews and maybe you have a regatta notebook where you keep lessons from coaches or races.

On the water you can have a great self-coaching session. You learn something new every race, so figure out what it is and tell yourself to reinforce the lesson. The hardest part about all this work is actually applying what you learn, and the more you review it, the more likely you are to use it.