RS Tera Southern Squads 25/26 Weekend 3 - HISC

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 Saturday morning to get on the water, therefore following a good warm up exercise with the sailors, we explored individual plans ready for the first race of a regatta, but also leading into a race following one already done. From sailing to the course to gathering information once there, sailors were encouraged to treat preparation as a timeline rather than a last-minute task.

One key takeaway: repeat your pre-start routine after every race. Conditions, bias, and fleet behaviour change — your process needs to reset each time.

Simplifying the start

Rather than overcomplicating the start, we focused on doing the basics well. Sailors identified their primary plan based on the line bias while always keeping options open. We also worked on hovering, adjusting for tide, managing leeward gaps, and committing confidently to a trigger pull.

Plan B helps win races

No start is perfect, so having a Plan B is essential. One standout example from the weekend saw a sailor too early at the line, quickly gybing around the pin and committing to a port-tack escape. That fast decision led to a top-three rounding with the leaders.

Understanding the bigger picture

Beyond starting, sailors explored different types of race days and by recognising the day type, this will help shape their strategy and mindset ahead of a race. Types of day included:

• Boat speed

• Oscillating shift

• Persistent shift

• Gain feature

• Random

A big well done to all the sailors for a great weekend of learning and thank you to the support of the volunteers on and off the water, along with the great work from the coaching team.

For questions or extra insight, get in touch at dylan@apexsailing.co.uk or follow @apex_sailing on Instagram and Facebook.