Event preparation: Setting yourself up for success

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.

• Logistics – Know the venue layout, local conditions, and any registration or measurement details. Double-check accommodation, transport, and safety equipment requirements.

• Documents – Sailing instructions and the NORs, make sure you read through them and anything on the notice board

Get familiar with the venue

Even if you’ve never sailed there before, you can learn a lot before arrival. Look at charts, satellite images, and previous event reports. What wind directions dominate? How does the tide or current behave? Are there landmarks useful for laylines or gain features?

If you can, plan a short training block at the venue or a similar location, especially if it is a large event like a nationals or worlds. Focus on tuning, settings, and routines, not just racing. Familiarity helps confidence.

Practice smart, not just hard

In the final two weeks, shift from big training blocks where you are learning new skills to refinement of current skills. Prioritise consistency and repeatability.

• Practise starts, especially acceleration and positioning relative to other boats.

• Sharpen your mark-rounding and mode changes — getting in and out of manoeuvres cleanly.

• Simulate race-day routines: warm-ups, timing sequences, comms with your team or coach.

This is where marginal gains add up.

Get into the zone

It’s easy to burn energy on logistics and forget the mental side. Set clear, realistic goals for the event — both process and outcome goals. For example:

• Process goal: Execute a consistent pre-start routine every race.

• Outcome goal: Finish top 10 overall.

Use downtime to visualise starts, transitions, and how you’ll respond under pressure. A good time to do this could be on the journey to the venue.

The final 48 hours

By this point, nothing new should be added — just refine and rest.

• Check weather forecasts.

• Stretch, hydrate, and sleep well.

• Keep meals simple and familiar.

Arrive at the venue feeling prepared, not rushed.

In short: event preparation isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing the right things at the right time.