INTEMEDIATE RACING
EXAMPLE PROGRAMMES
(All exercises used have been taken from the RYA Race Training Exercise Manual)
The Key Principles for Each Section
Starting
• Clear air
• Be on the line at the correct end for bias
• Accelerate fast
• Space to leeward
• Timing
Boat handling
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Practice until it becomes natural (Feel of the boat)
• 5 Essentials
Boat speed
• Correct rig settings
• 5 Essentials
• Focus and concentration
Strategy
• Keep head out of boat
• Be aware of all ge ographical and tidal effects
• Good communication
• Be responsive
Tactics
• Think ahead
• Good communication
• Teamwork
• Be aware of overall strategy
• Stay out of trouble
The Example Programme: Intermediate Racing
Day • Meet with sailors Lunch Coaching Principles: -
1 • Introductions Starting
• Aims of the course • Clear air
• Safety and housekeeping • Be on the line at the correct end for bias
• Rig boats – check boats over (basic tuning and • Accelerate fast
safety check) • Space to leeward
• Afloat – short session, triangular course, assessing • Timing
levels of competence re boat handling, rules • Use transits
knowledge, confidence, crew communication and
general awareness. Example exercises : (see the section on starts and dinghy park
shuffle)-
1. Holding station and Drive through
2. Trigger pulls
3. Square line start
4. Biased Line start
5. Variable Start Time start (+/ - 5 secs)
Coaching tips-
• Demonstrate starts with a shore based exercise prior to going
on the water e.g. how work out a transit, being on the line,
line bias.(Dinghy Park Shuffle)
• Use boat handling exercises initially without a countdown,
e.g.
1. moving forward slowly to the line then accelerating;
2. get them to judge when they are on the
• Move on to using the above exercises with a countdown
• Vary the length of the line
• Vary the bias on the line
Rules relating to Starting
• Luffing rights
• Barging at windward end
Day Recap Day 1 activities Lunch Boat Handling Session 2
2 • Hovering
Coaching Principles: - • Tethered rudder
Boat handling • Mark rounding
• Teamwork • Sailing backwards
• Communication • 2 Turn penalties
• Practice until it becomes natural (Feel of the boat )
• 5 Essentials Example exercises : (also look at ‘Boredom beaters’)
1. Follow my Leader
Boat Handling Session 1 2. Trigger Pulls
• Tacking 3. Tethered Rudder
• Gybing 4. Magic Roundabout with the rib
• (Use of good demonstrations and shore drills before 5. Gut-buster or Diamond Winger
exercises)
Short race series (2 or 3) windward leeward races focusing on
Example exercises:- starting, the beat and rounding the windward mark
1. Tacking on the whistle
2. Gybing on the whistle Coaching Tips:-
3. The Channel (upwind and downwind) • Start with basic boat handling exercises e.g. stopping and
4. Gut buster accelerating
• Give good demonstrations of tacking and gybing
Rules relating to tacking and gybing • Work through the exercises in order of difficulty (1 – 5)
• Keeping clear • Games for kids are great fun and teach good boat handling
skills.
Distant Physical prep – warm up exercises, stretching and keeping fit
learning Recommended reading: -
“Mental and Physical Fitness for Sailing”- Fernhurst
Complete Guide to Sport Nutrition - Anita Bean
Day Recap of Days 1 and 2 Lunch Boat speed Session 2
3 • Downwind
Coaching Principles: - • Use of spinnakers (if applicable) inc land drill
Boat speed • How to initiate planning
• Correct rig settings
• 5 Essentials Example exercises:-
• Focus and concentration 1. 2 Boat Tuning
2. Eyes shut sailing
Boat speed Session 1 3. Roll U’R buddy
• Rig tuning – demonstration of controls (ashore)
• Upwind – setting the boat up for the relevant Coaching Tips :-
conditions • Do not get too involved with definitive rig settings
• Adjusting controls whilst sailing • Look at general s ail control settings – sheets, kicker,
halyard tension, downhaul and outhaul
Example exercises:- • Concentrate on the 5 essentials and how they make the
1. 2 Boat Tuning boat sail fast.
2. Tethered rudder (balancing the sails) • Try to set up the boats as similar as possible.
• Rules - boats meeting, Rules 10,11,12,14 Evening
• Team work
• Communication
• Division of roles
Day Recap of day 3 Lunch Strategy Session 2
4 • Laylines
Coaching Principles: - • Assessing favoured end of finish line
Strategy • Wind bends
• Keep head out of boat • Wind shifts
• Be aware of all geographical and tidal effects
• Good communication Example exercises:-
• Be responsive 1. Layline Ducker
2. Layline crossover
Strategy session 1 3. Shift Simulator
• Geographical effects 4. Match racing with one boat tacking on headers and the
• Tide if applicable other tacking on lifts
• Favoured side of course 5. The Channel with a finish line
• Gusts and lulls
• Clear air Short race series – longer legs so that the focus can be on boat
speed and strategy as well as starting and mark rounding
*Shore based exercise initially listing all aspects of
strategy and how to use them to best advantage in the Coaching Tips:-
local environment. • Shore based discussion session is very important to
establish all aspects of Strategy that are relevant in the
Example exercises:- local environment
1. Windward/Leeward Course • Try and focus on what the sailors should do in certain
2. Cross the layline situations
3. Layline crossover • Sail upwind/downwind in pairs, one boat attempting to
do everything right, the second boat deliberately doing
everything wrong, e.g. tacking on lifts
Distant Mental Preparation – Goal setting
Learning Recommended reading: “Mental and Physical Fitness for Sailing” - Fernhurst
Day Recap of Days 1 -4 Lunch Recap of some areas that sailors require or that seem weak
5 • Boat tuning
Coaching Principles: - • Starting in more depth – box starts
Tactics • Mark rounding
• Think ahead
• Good communication Example Exercises: -
• Teamwork 1. Box Starts
• Be aware of overall strategy 2. Varying Approach Starts
• Stay out of trouble 3. Rabbit starts
Tactics Session
• Boat on boat
• Boat on group
• Lee bow
• Covering and breaking cover
Example exercises:-
1. Piggy in the Middle (2 boats)
2. Piggy in the middle
3. Channel with pairs of boats ( Lee Bow
exercise)
4. 2 Boat Team Racing
Coaching Tips:-
• Initially break group down into pairs and do a
covering session
• Work through exercises in order making the task
more difficult
• Don’t forget downwind tactics
• Use shore based discussion with model boats to
clarify situations
Day Recap day 5 Lunch Regatta
6 Regatta or join in with club racing
Video racing Video debrief
Notes for the Coach
This programme is aimed at providing an example of how to structure an intermediate racing course for adults or youth sailors. These are
just guidelines and the coach will clearly need to adapt these ideas for their own venue and sailors, making them fun and challenging, yet
safe. Good luck with running these courses and we hope the notes we have included help you inspire your sailors.
The golden rules of coaching!
Those that can, do!
Those that can do and inspire others to do, coach!
1. Coach the sailor to become their own coach!
2. KISS (Keep it short and simple/ keep it simple stupid).
3. Prior preparation prevents poor performance and always have a backup plan (and a joke).
4. If there is any ambiguity in the instructions you have given, the sailor will do the opposite of what you wa nted.
5. Keep information specific and to a minimum on the water.
6. Avoid sarcasm, insults, humiliation and abuse.
7. Be creative about how you present new skills and information. Excite their imagination and try to stay out of
the classroom.
8. Always encourage the sailors to participate in the decision making process when you can. Even their mistakes
teach a lesson.
9. Keep it fun for your sailors and for you.
10. People will copy your behaviours, attitude and style more that you think. Always try to exemplify best practic e
even when you race.
11. Focus on getting your sailors ‘doing’ rather than you talking about it (especially during the briefs).
12. What you do, does make a difference!
The 5 essentials of sailing The 5 essentials of coaching
• Trim • Bite sized chunks
• Sail Trim • Preparation
• Centreboard • Motivation and fun
• Course Sailed • Communication
• Balance • Knowledge of the sport
The key elements of racing
1. Mental fitness
2. Physical fitness
3. Teamwork
4. Boat handling
5. Boat speed/boat tuning
6. Racing rules
7. Tactics
8. Starts
9. Strategy and Meteorology
[Link] preparation
The RYA Coaching Models
1. Plan-do-review
Pre course thinking The Brief Sailing The Debrief
(priming) Create the focus for Where the ‘real’ learning Summarise the feedback
learning. Identify skills takes place. Feedback is and learning and set the
and goals. essential (not always the sights for the next session
spoken word)!
2. Developing skill
Introduce skill Practise with feedbac k Self practise without coach’s Apply the skills in real
(demonstration/ explanation) (Coach led) feedback situation e.g. a race
Provide coach’s
feedback
3. Feedback- Coaching the sailor to become their own coach
Feedback is simply information processed by the sailor. Ideally it needs to provide information
about how the sailor is doing and can include the spoken word (coach), sailing faster than
another sailor, feeling the boat or watching a video of their performance. Each style of feedback
will help generate different types of skills and thinking processes. Effective coachi ng requires a
variety of these styles of feedback.
However, the most important issue is that the sailor should develop their own opinion and ability
to analyse their own sailing. Coaching the sailor to become their own coach. Always ask for
their opinion first. It seems slower and the natural tendency is to tell, which is appropriate when
learning initially, but questions will generate the thought processes that will make them
accomplished racers.
The Coaching Nut & Bolts
1. The Brief-
All sessions start with a brief which should include: -
• Outline the aims of the session and introduce the subject/skill/technique.
• Involve the sailors by using open questions to find out their knowledge (brain storming).
• Explain the exercises to be used on the water (use a bo ard if possible).
• Give a demonstration if relevant.
• Covers any safety points including signals.
• Use questions to the sailors to check they have understood the brief.
• Insure that each sailor has a specific aim or goal for the session.
2. Running The Exercises
All exercises used within this programme are found in the RYA Race Training Exercise Manual. Insure that the exercise or the coach
provides feedback for learning.
Pre-Warm up and Post-stretching (creating good habits)
It is recommended that before st arting any exercise that all sailors complete a warm up either ashore or if possible on the water. This can be
as simple as 5 tacks, 5 gybes, hoist/drop, or a small figure 8 course. Slowly increase the energy output until the sailor is gently sweating.
This practise is used by all top level sailors and is an excellent habit to prevent injuries. On completion of any exercise the coach should also
run a sort stretching exercise focusing on the key muscles and ligaments. Full details are on the Coach Resource pack or ‘Fitness to sail’.
3. The Debrief
All sessions will end with a debrief which:-
• Revisit the aims of the session and give a summary of the “on the water” feedback.
• Encourage the sailors to describe the “feel” of the boat during the exercise and as sess their own performance.
• Give individual and specific feedback on the sailors performance.
• Outline the way forward and discuss areas for improvement.
• Insure that the sailors take notes of lesson learnt.
Note :- If possible all sailors should be coached and debriefed whilst still on the water.
Use of Video
It is suggested that video coaching and debriefing is not used at this level. It not only takes up time in the classroom when they should be on
the water but their level of skills may not provide the footage to help improve the technique. Focus on time on the water at this stage.