Spring Break Practice will feature team racing every day. Before then, I hope you will continue your self-education path and take seriously the idea that we all need to know team racing rules, plays, and more.

-Because in Heaven, everybody team races…

Resources:

• Say hello and introduce yourself to every video and article on our very own Team Racing page.
• 5 Basic, and very common, team racing errors. Please read this and never make any of these errors again.
• It is 100% essential that you know Play 1, 2, and 4, and also as much of the “terminology” on our team basic playbook. Key terminology terms:
  • Balance
  • pass back
  • speed pass back
  • Gap
  • mark trap
  • pin
  • riding
  • 2-3-4 triangle
  • breaking ties
  • bump and run
  • clear out
  • covering
  • don’t cross behind
  • golden rule
  • split and high low
  • kill
  • zone coverage
• Tufts U. Sailing Team You Tube. This has a TON of drone video. Watch one with a friend or by yourself and learn, comment, and ask questions
• Team Racing For Sailboats. This is a really great youTube channel from the UK with annotated drone footage…. very helpful.
• 2021-2024 Call Book for Team Racing. This is an ESSENTIAL read to get to learn more about rules and interpretations of team racing rules.
• How Dinghy Crews Win Team Races

CARDINAL RULES

•         Balance your pairs (herding sheep). Do NOT take flyers ever.
•         Be flexible and sharp/open minded. Do what’s needed to win or help your team
•         Beat your guy

•         Our 6 in any race in any place on the course is our most important player

•         Always know where the critical focus is, and execute there
•         Mind the Gap (understand where in the team race combination there is a critical gap. You either want to attack or defend the gap)
•         When in doubt, sail as fast as you can (minimize time) to the next mark
•         Recognition->Execution:  Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto You
•         Never assume victory
•         Sail conservatively and avoid unforced errors. Take risks only when losing big early, or losing near the finish
•         Your next play is often behind you; also, don’t get too far ahead if you are in an unstable or losing combo!
•         Never get too tied up with one opponent and lose sight of the overall game
•         Never let one boat occupy two of ours for very long
•         Be on it. Think every second of the game how your moves can help your team
•         Know when to throw out the playbook
•         Quiet teams are deadly. The longer we don’t call plays, the better we’re doing. Let the other team tell you their play. Don’t let this rule override actual important communication  however.
•         Be deceptive with your moves, boat-handling, and passbacks, but when you start a move or a passback, execute with absolute determination and aggression