What Should I Be Doing This Summer to Improve My 49er Skills?

This is one of the most common questions I’ve heard recently, particularly from teams who plan on staying domestic through the spring and into the summer. Whether you are still in school and looking to make the most of your time in the 49er this spring and summer, or considering whether to head to Europe this summer, here are some thoughts to help you make the best plan for your training as we head into the summer.

Structuring Your Training Blocks

When you’re starting out on your 49er journey, your priority should be maximizing hours on the water to build up the foundational skills that contribute to success on the race course. Time by yourself is extremely valuable in the beginning, because it allows you to slow things down, take the time to pay attention to the details, and work on the boring skills that will pay dividends later. Injecting some time around other boats can make training more fun, and racing will allow you to benchmark your skills. Incorporating parts of all three of these approaches into your training this summer will be critical to maximizing productivity on the water. Here’s how that might look.

Time By Yourself

Successful teams build structured training blocks, breaking down their sessions into specific skill development areas:

• Boat Handling Drills: 49ers are unforgiving. The more polished your maneuvers—tacks, gybes, and mark roundings—the more competitive you’ll be. Dedicate time to high-rep, high-pressure drills that simulate race conditions. This should be your primary focus early on, and it doesn’t require any other boats on the water.

• Downspeed Boat Handling: Spend time by yourself learning to sit next to a mark. Work on Around The Mark Without Tacking drill, work on double tacking, work on switching from forward to backwards flow and the other way around. These skills will pay dividends near other boats.

TRain With Other Boats

Training with other boats will keep things fresh and fun. Maximize this time by working on speed, and when possible, applying pressure to your boat handling skills. If you have other boats around, find boat handling drills that force you to get your maneuvers done in a specific timeframe. Learn to lee-bow, tack to cover, duck and set under pressure. Sneak a little bit of speed work in every time you can line up with other boats.

Racing Opportunities this summer

Checking in with the fleet is not only important from a skill development standpoint, but it’s also the fun part, so I recommend that every team at any level organize their summers around a regatta schedule. Start by identifying your peak event for the summer and work backwards from there.

This summer, I think that there are probably three events that span the full spectrum of needs for teams as far as targeting peak events:

Long Beach OCR: For teams who will exclusively stay domestic, the Long Beach OCR / 49er North Americans should be the peak event of the season. This will be your opportunity to line up with international competition who will be in Long Beach to start learning the venue for 2028. I expect to see quite a bit of training before and after this event, so be sure to connect with the fleet on WhatsApp to see what is going on.

Junior Worlds: This summer the Junior Worlds will be in Copenhagen in late July/early August, and will be an ideal peak event for those who can attend. The level of competition at the top of the fleet will be quite high, but but the depth won’t be nearly as strong as most open international regattas. This provides a great environment to benchmark your skills and see where the bar is internationally.

Open Worlds: Top teams will plan on peaking this year at the 49er Worlds in Italy in October. This will be the pinnacle of racing for the year, and if you’re reading this article, chances are, you shouldn’t be planning on using this as a peak event!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think that California will be the main training hub in the United States this summer, and I expect to see this become more pronounced in the next three years. Organizing your summer around a peak event will give the summer more structure, and give you a benchmark opportunity, but regardless of your peak event, be sure to plan periods of training by yourself to maximize hours on the water, and training with other boats to focus on skills that are hard to practice by yourself.

US 49er Class Vision

In the last few months we’ve been hard at work laying out a vision for the 49er class to harness the momentum of the 2028 Olympics coming to our backyard in Los Angeles, and with that vision in place we’re ready to push hard to make it happen. Learn more about the vision below.

Using Regattas in Year One to Benchmark Progress: A Strategic Approach

The first year of any Olympic campaign is a foundational phase, and its success often hinges on the clarity of the goals set for this crucial period. For sailors navigating year one, international regattas are less about perfecting racing tactics and more about using these events as critical benchmarks to measure progress in the areas they are focusing on at home—especially boat handling and fundamental skills.

Why Benchmarking Matters in Year One

The demands of international competition expose sailors to the rigors of elite-level racing. These regattas, while not the primary driver of skill development early on, provide an invaluable lens to assess the efficacy of training programs and highlight areas that require fine-tuning. At this stage, success isn’t defined by podium finishes but by how well the progress in practice translates to high-pressure racing environments.

For sailors focused on improving their boat-handling repertoire, frequent attendance at international events is not necessary. What matters most is the quality of instruction and coaching between regattas. With a robust training program led by world-class coaches, teams can minimize international appearances during year one while maximizing the value of each event they do attend.

Maximizing the Value of International Events

Because these regattas are fewer in number during the initial stages of a program, the stakes for making the most of them are higher. Each event should be approached with meticulous preparation and purpose. To ensure sailors and teams are performing at their best:

• Training Should Peak Ahead of Regattas: Arrive ready to "fire on all cylinders," with boat handling, decision-making, and mental preparation refined in advance.

• Data-Driven Evaluation: Events offering advanced tracking systems, such as SAP Analytics, are ideal during this stage. These tools provide a wealth of data that allows sailors to evaluate performance metrics and compare their skills with the rest of the fleet. This quantitative feedback is essential for tracking progress and identifying specific areas to address back home.

Striking the Right Balance

Overexposure to international regattas in year one can dilute the focus on fundamentals and lead to burnout. Instead, teams should prioritize a balanced schedule that allocates ample time for targeted training while integrating just enough competition to validate and refine skills. By year two, when the focus shifts more toward speed requiring more time around other boats, and more time on the race course. The foundation laid in year one will allow sailors to excel.

Key Takeaways

International regattas in year one are not about accumulating victories but about validating progress. Thoughtful preparation and strategic event selection will ensure sailors gain meaningful insights while maintaining the focus on their long-term development. Prioritize quality over quantity, use every opportunity to benchmark, and return to the training base ready to build on the lessons learned.

With this approach, sailors can make steady, deliberate strides toward excellence, ensuring they are ready to shine on the world stage when the time comes.

The Art of the Olympic Quad: Building Toward Excellence Over Four Years

Every four years, the Olympic Games offer sailors the chance to achieve greatness on a global stage. Yet, this opportunity demands more than raw talent and hard work—it requires a carefully orchestrated plan. The path to peak performance in the Olympic Quadrennial (or "quad") is a journey of strategic growth, where each year builds upon the last to deliver athletes ready to shine at the highest level.

While some nations have mastered long-term athlete development, others have yet to fully embrace systematic approaches to training. Victor Kovalenko, often called the “Medal Maker” for his extraordinary success coaching Olympic teams, introduced a renowned four-year training model that divides the quad into distinct phases, each with specific focuses and goals. While Kovalenko no longer coaches, his framework remains a gold standard for planning, providing a blueprint that can be adapted to suit the needs of any team.

The Four Phases of the Quad

1. Year of Learning: Boat Handling Mastery
The first year is a foundation-building phase, where athletes emphasize technical proficiency. Boat handling, including maneuver execution, balance, and sail control, takes center stage. The goal is to accumulate as much time as possible on the water, particularly in challenging conditions that force rapid adaptation and skill refinement.

Teams often benchmark their progress at key regattas, combining these experiences with structured evaluations to track improvements. Expert input and partnerships with training groups enhance learning, ensuring the work done this year serves as a springboard for future development.

2. Year of Improvement: Building Speed
Speed separates top sailors from the rest. Year two is dedicated to refining this critical component. Through a systematic approach—testing equipment, developing tuning guides, and focusing on technique—teams unlock marginal gains that add up to significant improvements.

Regular opportunities to sail with faster competitors provide invaluable insights into what it takes to be competitive. The emphasis on speed also dovetails with physical conditioning, ensuring athletes are fit and ready to handle the demands of high-performance sailing.

3. Year of Success: Racing Focus
By the third year, the focus shifts to competition. Teams aim to race as often as possible in international fleets, putting their skills and speed to the test under pressure. This phase prioritizes execution—delivering consistent, strong performances across a variety of conditions and venues.

Extensive documentation, including GPS tracking, video debriefs, and detailed playbooks, becomes critical. These tools help athletes analyze their racing, identify trends, and make targeted adjustments to refine their competitive edge.

4. Year of Domination: Peaking for the Games
The final year is about consolidation and peak performance. The hard work of the preceding years culminates in targeted preparation for Olympic trials and, ultimately, the Games themselves. Training shifts toward quality over quantity, with a focus on replicating race-day conditions and fine-tuning mental and physical readiness.

For teams that qualify for the Olympics, every decision centers on ensuring they arrive at the Games in peak form. For those who do not, this year offers opportunities to pivot toward other elite racing circuits, ensuring the momentum of the quad is not lost.

Challenges and Strengths in North America

While the quad offers a clear roadmap for success, the unique challenges of competing from North America require thoughtful planning. Unlike Europe, which serves as the hub of Olympic-class sailing, North America’s geography and event density can make it difficult to access the same level of international competition.

The Challenges

1. Distance from Key Events: The majority of high-level regattas, training camps, and fleets are concentrated in Europe, creating logistical and financial hurdles for North American teams.

2. Limited Domestic Racing: Compared to Europe, the U.S. and Canada offer fewer large-scale, Olympic-class events, which can make it harder to stay race-ready throughout the season.

3. Smaller Training Fleets: Access to consistent, high-caliber training partners is critical, yet in North America, finding multiple boats to train with regularly can be a challenge.

Crafting a Plan to Leverage Strengths
Despite these obstacles, North America has unique advantages that can be maximized:

1. Homefield Advantage for 2028: With the 2028 Olympics in Long Beach, U.S.-based sailors have a rare opportunity to train regularly at the Olympic venue. This allows teams to become intimately familiar with the conditions—currents, wave patterns, and thermal breezes—that will define the Games.

2. High-Caliber Training Venues: North America boasts world-class venues like Miami, Long Beach, and San Francisco, offering a range of conditions to hone skills and prepare for any scenario.

3. Access to Diverse Conditions: From the heavy-air conditions on the West Coast to the flat waters and light winds of the Gulf Coast, North American sailors can train in an array of environments without traveling internationally.

4. Emerging Communities: By building relationships with developing teams across the Americas, North American sailors can create new training partnerships and strengthen regional competition.

The Path Forward
To overcome the geographic and logistical challenges of this quad, North American teams should prioritize the following:

• Strategic Travel: Identify key European regattas and plan extended training blocks abroad to minimize back-and-forth travel while maximizing exposure to international fleets.

• Regional Hubs: Establish more robust regional training centers, encouraging collaboration among Olympic-class sailors and fostering larger training groups.

• Leverage Technology: Use GPS tracking, video debriefs, and remote coaching tools to supplement in-person competition and maintain progress when racing abroad isn’t feasible.

• Fundraising and Partnerships: Develop strong sponsorship and fundraising programs to offset the costs of international travel and equipment acquisition, ensuring teams can compete on equal footing with their European counterparts.

Bringing It All Together

The Olympic quad is a marathon, not a sprint. By embracing a phased approach—rooted in learning, improving, competing, and peaking—sailing teams can navigate the four-year journey with clarity and purpose. In North America, this journey requires extra creativity to overcome logistical challenges, but the proximity of the 2028 Olympics presents an unparalleled opportunity to level the playing field and thrive.

As teams embark on their path to Long Beach, those who craft thoughtful plans, adapt to challenges, and capitalize on their strengths will be best positioned to seize their moment on the world’s biggest stage.