Final Beat / Gate Choice Day

I will explain before we head out how we will do these drills.
Today we will all sail together and work on two things:

• Final Beat tactics and strategy. In any final beat, you should have a conscious plan before rounding the mark. Remember in sailing almost more than any other sport, conditions that change the game happen constantly, like wind shifts/lulls/puffs, current considerations, favored side of beat considerations, bad air/people tacking on you considerations, unlucky waves/chop considerations, and more. What’s more, you have to know where you are in the fleet, which should almost always inform your tactics. Point is, although I said to have a plan, remember that plans can change, and they absolutely must change if/when conditions change for you, where you are. For example, if you are 1-3, or 1-5, you want to stay there. You want to minimize risk. If you are in the middle pack, you likely will want to pick off a few boats, but will you want to hit a corner immediately to try to win it all back? Most often not. If you are in the back of the pack, you have some work to do, and your goal should always be to calculate leverage to gain back as many boats as you can, which is usually about 2-3 at the most.
• Downwind tactics and strategy leading to a gate choice. Leeward gate roundings are 100% a means-to-an-end. Make sure today you discuss what your “end” is. Too often teams are passive downwind with their boathandling, minimizing gybes and wing/on off, especially as they approach the mark, simply because it’s easier not to do the boathandling move. Why? some are lazy, but many more are not confident enough with their boat handling, and just “hold on,”  even sailing by the lee to make a mark, just so they don’t have to go through the process of gybing. Teams with better boathandling and the courage to execute moves almost ALWAYS make gains at turning marks, when the heat is on. Great teams know they will go into crowded gate roundings and gain.
  Remember to actively study what gate you want to go to and why, always re-evaluating and reassessing, gauge where you are in the fleet, and the value of of the gate you want to go to versus the price you will have to pay to get there. A clear air rounding is usually a good, gains-making rounding.
  Finally, the laylines on a downwind leg, in any wind at all, are MUCH narrower downwind than they are upwind. You MUST learn to sail comfortably and fast, able to execute your boathandling moves at will, in narrow lanes.

LASERS
Downwind Body Positioning Day:  #1 Rule– Be Dynamic (be able to move easily and quickly)
I hope you worked on mainsheet trim downwind yesterday.
Remember downwind sailing in this boat offers huge opportunities to make gains. I’ve always felt lower body technique is the #1 critical factor in better downwind sailing (technically speaking). You still have to be a keen sailor on windshifts and pressure (its still sailing), but this boat can really be worked downwind, almost more than upwind.
work today on leg and body positioning downwind. Watch this video for a refresher on the basics. If you are not tall enough to do the stuff in this video, approximate it as close as you can.

This does

LIGHT WINDS

MEDIUM WINDS

HEAVY WINDS (foot/leg in AND leg up approaches)