Ken Legler, just retired from a multi-decade run as a successful championship college sailing coach, most notably at Tufts University, shares his notebook with Sail1Design in this Team Racing how-to series> Enjoy. Winter Teammate Meetings, By Ken Legler “Telling ‘em ain’t learning ‘em,” was the sage advice of Gary Bodie’s (famous sailing coach) grandfather. Before … Read More
One Design Notebook: Developing a Team Position Chart
By Airwaves Writer Andrew Kerr One of the hardest things for a team to do is to field the same team at every race or regatta – inevitably someone cannot make the event and the team has to adapt with new crew, it is the reality of life that just about every team has to … Read More
Communication for Speed!
By Andrew Kerr Picture yourself on port tack, going fast – with a wall of starboard tackers coming at you that you can barely see but you know their bows are charging at you! Your team communicates well and is all on the same page, you cross the first 3 starboard tackers and then do … Read More
Tactics With Mike: Regatta Goals and an Effective Debrief
To learn more about Sail1Design Performance Coaching,click here! I am changing the way I set goals and debrief at regattas. Why? Because I Just got done coaching racing skills leading up to a Midwinters in Miami and in describing to them my approach I realized my method was flawed. I realized that I do not … Read More
Tactics with Mike: Defending a Starting Hole
Defending a hole is a logical follow on to our last Sail1Design article: “Start: Tacking in a Hole”. Don’t forget to check out and research all of our Tactics/Strategy articles here! Almost as important as controlling the boat to windward is NOT being controlled by the leeward boat. Without a gap to leeward to put … Read More
Tactics with Mike: The Start & Tacking in a Hole
By Airwaves Writer & Coach, Mike Ingham The Start: Tacking in a Hole Perhaps nothing is more important to a good start than controlling the boat to windward. To do that, we need to understand the perfect position to be in, and execute a perfect last tack into a … Read More
Tune Up Your Sailing, with Russ Silvestri
By Airwaves writer Emma White Spring Tune Up—Tips from the Experts As one-design sailors prepare for major spring and summer regattas, and maybe even Rio, this is the first in the series of featured articles on accomplished one-design sailors. We hope that their words of wisdom and experiences will benefit all … Read More
The Art of Goal Setting: Focus on Process, Not Results
By Airwaves writer/coach Mike Ingham Sail1Design: The Year’s Plan It’s January. That is when I get with the team and set the plan for the year. On first glance, it sounds simple, but … Read More
Tactics with Mike: Sail1Design Multitasking
By Airwaves writer Mike Ingham “EASE THE OUTHAUL” my skipper barks. Now, in my opinion barking almost anything does no good, but in this case, we had just had a 3rd row start, the gas masks were fully deployed. We were stopped well below the line as we watched the entire fleet sail away. Outhaul … Read More
Tactics with Mike: Find the Starting Line
By Airwaves Writer Mike Ingham I think just about the hardest role on entire boat is the bow. I don’t mean the mechanics, yes that is not easy, but a good athlete will figure that out. I mean calling distance to the line. It is a science and an art –and it is tough, and … Read More
Tactics with Mike: Sail1Design Pre-Start Routine
By Airwaves writer Mike Ingham As a natural follow on to the last article about roles before the start, a good routine helps collect the right information and get everyone in the right frame of mind for the start. Of course in the end, the team needs to set up and pull the trigger and … Read More
Tactics With Mike: Sail1Design Start Roles And Communication
By Airwaves Writer Mike Ingham I am coaching in Japan right now and today’s discussion centered on roles at the start. It seems every team agrees with most of the roles, but there is also a surprising amount of gray area and overlap of who does what and even more inconsistencies on how people communicate. … Read More
Tactics With Mike: Sail1Design Goal Setting
By Airwaves writer Mike Ingham I was just coaching a guy and I suspected his goals were out of whack, so after the regatta I asked him to answer some self-evaluating questions including one on his attitude. It became clear he was that he is focused on results not process. Here are some quotes from … Read More