Check the full story here: https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2017/02/09/u-s-coaches-year-announced/
If You're Unsure About Conditions, Minimize Decision Points
When you're not sure exactly what the wind is doing, here's a strategy to try. Excerpt from the upcoming McBride Racing Tactical Playbook. Subscribe to our newsletter to get notified of the book launch.
If you’re not sure whether to choose the inside track or the outside track, it probably means that your confidence is low in any specific prediction about the wind, and no pattern is immediately evident in the wind shifts; this is totally fine! When you are unsure about what the breeze is going to do, the best thing you can do is acknowledge that fact, and choose a high percentage upwind strategy, which allows you to postpone any critical decisions until the race has had a chance to develop a little bit. A simple strategy to accomplish this starts with a mid-line start on starboard. Drag race with the fleet until boats begin tacking back from the left corner (probably about half way up the beat), and then ask the question, “Who is winning, and why?” If the left has gained and you have gotten headed, you’ll have an opportunity to lead back the lead pack. If the left has gained and you have not seen a left shift, then continue as close to the left corner as you dare – chances are, it will continue to pay for whatever reason it paid in the first place. If the right has paid, was it associated with a right shift? If so, chances are good that you’ll want to keep going left and wait for your shift to go back on. If not, it’s time to abandon the left and start digging into the outside track on the right.
The biggest risk in this strategy, is the risk of a slow persistent shift tricking you into digging for more, when you should be abandoning a losing proposition. To have the best chance of avoiding this pitfall, keep your eyes peeled for:
- Changing weather that might cause a persistent shift (clouds, a change in temperature, a shift in current direction, etc.)
- Wind shifts outside of the range that you saw in your pre-race research
- Observations that corroborate an earlier forecast, predicting a persistent trend in the wind
This strategy works well because it simplifies the decision making process by minimizing the number of choices that you are making on the beat.
New Years Resolutions For A Successful 2016
I don't believe in New Years Resolutions. On the other hand, I do believe that every big success begins with an expertly crafted plan. Starting the year off with a clear picture of where you are going and how to get there will help to reinforce new habits while they become part of your routine, and eventually part of your psyche as an athlete. On January 1st, instead of resolving to do a bunch of things that you'll forget about over the course of the next month, block out a few hours, sit down, and make a plan using the following four ideas:
1. Set Goals - Start by setting your goals for 2016 and beyond. This can be one of the most daunting parts of the process, because writing down your goals means that you might fail. Despite this, if you don't set goals that scare you, you'll never even begin to realize your potential, so dream big, keep them private if it scares you to share them, but write them down so that you know what you're planning for. For help setting functional goals, be sure to check out our Goal Setting Worksheet available on the Sailor Resources page under the "How To" section. It's never too early to start setting goals so think long term!
2. Plan ahead - Instead of setting a goal and hoping to achieve it, set a goal and PLAN to achieve it! Setting a detailed plan in place to achieve your goal is a super important part of the process of success because it provides you with a document to check in on every few weeks to see whether or not you are on track to achieve your goals. Your plan should focus on the granular details of how you are going to achieve your goals. What skills do you need to acquire? What drills will you need to do to develop those skills as quickly as possible? How much time will it take? Is that amount of time commitment realistic? If not, how can you make your training more effective? To help put together a bulletproof plan, and keep track of your progress in the new year, check out our Hours Tracker Template here.
3. Stick to the 70:30 Rule - As you put together your plan, it's important to keep the 70:30 rule in mind: at least 70% of your time on the water should be spent training, while 30% should be spent racing. Racing should be viewed as an opportunity to demonstrate and experiment with new techniques that you learn in practice, NOT a time to develop new skills. Color coding your plan (see step 2) can really help to visualize whether you're getting enough practice time!
4. Put In Hours Alone - While a lot of people believe that sailing against other boats leads to faster improvement, and this can sometimes pay out, in the long run, rising to the top requires hours to be spent on your own, putting in the hard work.
Wishing everyone a productive New Year!
- Willie out
Romain Featured In Lead Up To ISAF Youth Worlds
"Romain Screve has his work cut out for him over the next few weeks; competing in the 29er, he wants to bring home the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship title. At the worlds, being held in Malaysia Dec. 27 through Jan. 3, Screve and his crew Quinn Wilson will face the top young talent in the world, each team selected by their national governing body to represent their country. In most cases, these are the teams being groomed for future Olympic events. Qualifying to compete in the worlds was no easy task for Screve and Wilson. Against a tide of unfortunate circumstances they barely won the opportunity by just one point at the US Youth Sailing Championships (the pinnacle event for youth sailors under 20 in the US) held in Bristol, R.I. over the summer."
-Michelle Slade, Marin Independent Journal