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After a long winter training block, it’s common for sailors to feel uncertain heading into their first regattas of the season. You’ve spent months working on boat speed, manoeuvres, starts and race strategy — but as the event approaches it’s easy to start overthinking things. This is exactly the moment when the best sailors do something simple: trust the work they’ve already done. Winter training is where the biggest improvements happen. Repetition builds consistency — hundre

What a winter. It has been a great winter training and we concluded our winter training squad for the UK RS Tera Southern Region at Frensham Pond Sailing Club. We had multiple focus points across the weekend trying to wrap up the weekend: Finalising mark roundings and getting set after marks Strategic planning and fulfilment on the first leg Light wind boat handling and speed We were dealt some challenging conditions which were sub 5 knots, but this allowed us to find some ho

Most races aren’t won by bold moves — they’re won by sailors who make high-percentage decisions consistently. That means: Starting in a strong, low-risk spot Sailing the lifted tack going to the next mark Staying between rivals and the mark Avoiding unnecessary corners Big risks have their place — usually when you’re behind and need to gain. But if you’re near the front, your job is simple: minimise losses and stay in phase. Over a series, the sailor who avoids poor results o

At the end of a training day, junior sailors don’t need more information. They need clear information they can use tomorrow. Video is one of the most powerful coaching tools available. It bridges the gap between what a sailor thinks they’re doing and what they’re actually doing. But the way video is delivered makes all the difference. I have found that the use short clips of near-perfect execution hits the best with sailors. This is because it’s based on how junior sailors a

Unfortunately our second weekend of training with the HISC Feva squad was blown off, but we still managed to spend a solid day working on theory to help majority of sailors first season in the boat. During this shore day towards the end of 2025, we worked on: Goal setting for 2026 - performance and results Fitness expectations for helms and crews Downwind theory Rig settings General boat checks For our third weekend, the focus for the squad was downwind low and slow (includi

One of the biggest things I see as a coach is that sailors who think well  about sailing improve faster on the water. That’s exactly why the UK RS Tera Class Association Online Sailing Academy 2026 is such a valuable opportunity and why I’m really proud to be supporting it as UKRSTCA Lead Coach. The Online Sailing Academy is a free, three-week programme for UKRSTCA members, designed to help RS Tera sailors build understanding and learn new habits before the season really gets

Weekend 3 at Rutland shifted the focus from tacital sailing where the squad previously worked on when to overtake and how to stay ahead to mindset across different race formats . With the recent confirmation of the new Olympic-style regatta structure, this weekend was about how sailors think  on the water, within the traditional format and the new format. What we worked on We looked at two ways races can be structured: Traditional – series of races with a discard Olympic-sty

It was our fourth weekend training session and we went to Burghfield Sailing Club and hosted alongside the Andrew Simpson Centre. The focus was mark roundings and building our routines and approaches to gain the most around this pinch point of the race course. We had a contrasting forecast across both days with Saturday presenting lighter conditions with sunny blue skies and the Sunday with 18-25 knots with rain and freezing conditions. It was quite a shock when we arrived t

One of the biggest differences between developing sailors and consistently strong sailors isn’t fitness, kit, or experience. It’s how they think while racing. Strong sailors don’t try to fix everything at once. They focus on one or two important things, make a clear decision, and commit to it. Clarity beats complexity. Why doing less often makes you faster When it’s windy, shifty, or the fleet feels quick, it’s easy to think you need to do more  — more adjustments, more theor

For our third weekend of training, we went to Hayling Island Sailing Club where we were focusing on starting in tides due to our nationals for 2026 being hosted in a tidal venue. We split the two days into two different categories: Starting preparation on day 1 and starting manoeuvres and nailing a good start on day 2 with a putting it all together session in the afternoon on the Sunday. Preparation before you even launch Unfortunately there was not enough wind on the Saturd

The second weekend at Draycote, we had the goal on focusing on how to get ahead early in the race and how to maintain the lead. We highlighted the “pinch points” around the race course and if we can gain in these to get ahead, the race will become much easier. Start smart: "Popping out" A strong race begins before GO. We are looking to “Pop out ahead”. To do this we need to: Get a good trigger pull: You must hit the line at speed, with the boat fully set up and accelerating

Every sailor you coach is different — and the most effective coaches are those who adapt their approach based on who’s in front of them, the moment in training, and the long-term development goals. Research in sports psychology and leadership provides valuable insights into why flexibility in coaching styles work, and how to make it work for you. Core coaching styles Directive / autocratic (command) Defined by clear, coach-led decisions—vital for emergencies, beginners, or sa

Our second weekend was held at WPNSA focused on one important aspect of performance sailing: speed . Not just “pull the sail in and pull some ropes and hope” speed, but as a squad we wanted to build deeper understanding of how the flow  around the boat and sail creates the power that makes speed possible. Understanding flow & sail shape We began by looking at how air attaches to the sail. When flow stays smooth, the boat accelerates; when it breaks away, the boat stalls. The

We kicked off our first Feva training squad weekend out at Hayling Island SC with a great opening session focused on boat handling, downwind modes, and refining teamwork between helm and crew. Conditions were too light on the Saturday meaning we covered theory and then managed to hit the water for the afternoon. Sunday brought more breeze focusing on boat handling in 15-20 knots. Boat handling foundations We started with the basics: balance, trim, and clean coordination in ma

The first Rutland weekend of the winter brought some great racing and learnings, giving everyone the chance to focus on tactical decision-making and how to create opportunities when behind. When behind - how to get ahead Sometimes, there will be reasons why we may get behind such as poor starts, penalties, or bad decisions. The key is knowing how to gain back from it. We used the Upwind diamonds  framework to map out the racecourse and identify small, structured gains — from

Weekend 1 for the RS Tera Southern Regional Training Squad was held at Royal Lymington Yacht Club over the weekend with some challenging conditions with everything between 5 and 26 knots. the focus for the weekend was foundations, boat handling, and decision-making. It was great to see so many familiar faces back on the water, along with some new sailors joining the squad for the first time. Going back to basics The weekend’s focus was all about foundations. Before building s

Big events aren’t just won on the water, they are made through preparation. Whether it’s your first championship or the final regatta of the season, how you prepare in the weeks before racing can make all the difference. Plan backwards from Day 1 Start by working backwards from the event start date. What needs to be ready by then? Equipment  – Is your boat fully measured, foils smooth, ropes fresh, and spares packed? Make a checklist early on, not the night before travel. Log

As we enter winter, a lot of winter training begins and to make the most of it, try to think of your training like a pyramid: each level...

When we talk about sail shape, most sailors think about draft depth or position. But one of the most influential features is the leech ....

Knowing how to “read” the water is a skill that separates reactive sailors from proactive ones. While many sailors focus on wind shifts,...