teaching team racing 2008 powerpoint by steve hunt

1

Teaching Team Racing 2008

PowerPoint

By Steve Hunt

2

What is Team Racing?

For this presentation, team racing is 3 on 3 sailboat racing

Each team consists of 3 boats

The team with the lowest combined score in each race wins

3

Digital N Course

Most Team Races are Raced on the ‘Digital N’ Course

S

F

Some Digital N courses have 1 leeward mark.

4

Team Racing Essentials

Think as a team: ‘Your’ race includes all three boats

Communicate with your teammates

If winning, sail fast. If losing, try to slow down the race.

Keep your opponents in your covering zone

Always try to recognize your, and your opponents, combination

All three teammates should be on the line with speed at the gun

5

Winning Combinations

1,2,3

1,2,(4-6)

1,3,(4-6)

1,4,5

2,3,4

2,3,5

6

Strongest Winning Combinations

1,2,3

1,2,(4-6)

1,3,(4-6)

1,4,5

2,3,4

2,3,5

7

Strongest Winning Combinations

1,2,3

1,2,(4-6)

*1,4,5

2,3,4

*The 1,4,5 is not as stable as the 1,2,3, 1,2,anything or 2,3,4, but if executed properly, it is a strong winning combination

8

Winning Combinations A closer Look

1,2,3

1,2,anything

9

1,2,3 - 1,2, (4-6)

1-2-(4-6)

Very common winner. 1-2 try and sail fast keeping the 1-2. You are winning so sail fast and try not to tack too much or get caught up in any games or tacking duals that slow the race down. Balance on the upwinds and downwinds if needed to keep the 1-2. Tip: The third teammate should try and get 5th or better. That way if the 2 gets caught and passed your team will at least have a 1-4-5. Think about it.

1-2-3

Perfect combo. The 3 should slow down 4,5,6 at marks to let 1-2 break away. 3 should not get passed by everyone while slowing, keep at least a 5. If 1-2 already have some separation on the fleet, 3 just sails fast.

The best team racing teams don’t do a lot of team racing. Why? They get good starts as a team, sail fast, and get to the weather mark in a 1-2 or 1-2-3. That is your goal!

Play 1

I should try to be

5th or better!

I should make sure

my teammate crosses this starboard opponent.

10

Communication

Teammates should communicate so all members of the team are working towards the same goal. You are always working to be in one of the stable winning combinations.

In this example, the right hand black boat will slow the starboard tack opponent near her, to make sure her teammate on port will cross. That’s team racing!

Why?

Because “Play One” communicates what the goal is to her teammates. “Play One” is used by many teams to communicate their goal is a 1,2 (4-6) combination. The black boat on the left side of the course notices her and a teammate are probably in first and second place. If they sail smart and balance for each other they will round in a 1,2 combination. Rounding the first mark in a 1,2 is very powerful.

Notice How the Boat Below is Calling “Play 1”

Play 1

I should try to be

5th or better!

I should make sure my teammate

crosses this red opponent on starboard!

11

1,2,3 - 1,2, (4-6)

1-2-(4-6)

Balance if needed to keep the 1-2.

1-2-3

3 slows 4-5-6 from time to time at marks to let 1-2 break away. Don’t get passed by everyone though, keep at least a 5. No Room, Don’t

go in there.

I need to slow this red boat so my teammate keeps the

two!!

W

Top Reach of a Digital N Course

12


2,3,4

13

2,3,4

1-5-6

This is a tough one. 1 keeps the 1 and hopes 5 or 6 can pass the 4, putting you in a 1-4-6. The 4-6 then convert into a 4-5, giving your team a 1-4-5. As the 1, if the 2 is ahead of the pack, it’s okay to cover them to push them back as long as you keep the 1.

2-3-4

Balancing and helping your teammates to make sure you stay in the 2-3-4 is critical! Communicate and spread over the course to cover the 5-6. Always have the 5-6 in your zones. (i.e. Don’t let the 5 or 6 sail off to a side by themselves) Always look around to make sure you and your teammates are still ahead of the 5-6. If not, slow the person in your area to keep the 2-3-4. If you are falling back ask your teammates to balance for you!

The 2,3,4 is a very solid combination and takes teamwork and communication to win.

Play 2!

14

2,3,4The perfect 2-3-4 positioning upwind is to have your lead boat, the 2, or ‘Point’, in the middle of the course hedging towards the favored side. From the middle and ahead position they are ready to help either side if needed. Their teammates on the edges are covering the opponents on their respective sides. If a teammate needs help covering or balancing the Point will sail over to help.

I can help my teammates if

needed.

15

2,3,4Notice the perfect 2-3-4 positioning creates a pyramid shape with the lead boat of the team, the 2, sailing fast in the middle. You can look at the covering zone as an umbrella of bad air and covering zones. You keep your competitors inside the umbrella so they do not get leverage towards a side and pass you on a shift.

16

2,3,4Keep your competitors inside the covering zones, the umbrella! Do not let them sail towards the outer edges of the course. If you let them get away towards an edge, they may catch a puff or shift and pass you. Do not give them leverage.

17

2,3,4Tip: The best sailors in the middle position notice if one side of the course will be heavily favored, and they sail to that side to help their teammate balance. They know once a big shift shift happens one side will be ahead and the 2,3,4 will be unbalanced. To prevent being unbalanced they sail to the favored side and help slow the opponent on that side. They double up the coverage to help their 3rd teammate, on the unfavored side, catch up and remain in the 2,3,4 combination.

We need to help our left side

teammate catch up to stay ahead

of this red competitor!

We are on the wrong side of a

big shift!

18

2,3,4

On the second beat you set up the perfect 2-3-4 spread by doing the following after rounding the leeward mark (you also do this in a 1-2-3):

2 rounds and sails two-three boat lengths and tacks

3 rounds and sails to the spot 2 tacked, and tacks, taking the left side

2 then tacks back in a spot so they are not covering 3 or 4, taking the middle

4 sails straight taking the right

2

3

4

19

2,3,4

Zones: Always keep your opponents in your covering zones!

In these areas, you have your opponent safely covered as they do not have leverage to gain on a shift. You are ahead and to windward and in a great position to slow them down if needed.

If you start to get in trouble with your opponent, call for help and switch if necessary. Once you switch, your teammate who is now safely covering the opponent, slows them down to get you ahead, back into a solid 2-3-4.

20

2,3,4

Zones: Always keep your opponents in your covering zones!

In this example, the 2-3-4 is not doing a good job of keeping the red 5-6 in their zones. To fix the problem, the left hand black boat should do two tacks and so should the middle black boat.

Keep the opponents in your safe zones, balance for your teammates, and you will win!

21

2,3,4

Both black boats did two tacks to achieve a solid covering position.

Now they have a strong 2,3,4 again.

22

2,3,4

2-3-4

If the opponents in the 5-6 bring the action to the middle of the course it may cause crossing situations amongst your teammates. Do not duck your teammates! Communicate with each other early about your intentions. Switch opponents if necessary. The key is to not slow down by ducking each other. The other team wants you to duck each other! Instead; you should both tack.

Avoid ducking teammates while covering an opponent. Communicate with each other to switch instead.

In this example, the two black boats should switch by each tacking. By tacking they are staying in their zones and switching opponents. They do this instead of ducking each other and it keeps them solidly ahead.

Let’s switch

!

Okay, I will tack!

23

2,3,4

Why not duck a teammate?

Notice how the left most black boat ducks his teammate and loses a good cover on the opponent behind him.

Click through the slides for Animation


24

2,3,4


25

2,3,4


26

2,3,4


27

2,3,4


28

2,3,4


29

2,3,4


30

2,3,4


31

2,3,4


32

2,3,4

The circled red boat now has a great lane and is pinning the black boat, that ducked, from tacking.


33

2,3,4

The circled red boat now has a great lane and is pinning the boat the black boat, that ducked, from tacking.


34

2,3,4

The left most black boat and middle black boat switch in this situation.



35

2,3,4


36

2,3,4


37

2,3,4


38

2,3,4


39

2,3,4


40

2,3,4


41

2,3,4


42

2,3,4


43

2,3,4


44

2,3,4


The circled red boat never has a lane.

45

Watch That Again!

46

2,3,4

Avoid ducking teammates.

47

2,3,4


48

2,3,4


49

2,3,4


50

2,3,4


51

2,3,4


52

2,3,4


53

2,3,4


54

2,3,4


55

2,3,4


56

2,3,4


57

2,3,4


58

2,3,4


59

2,3,4


60

2,3,4


61

2,3,4


62

2,3,4


63

2,3,4


64

2,3,4


65

2,3,4


66

2,3,4


67

2,3,4


68

2,3,4


69

2,3,4


70

Don’t Duck Teammates

While Covering

71


1,4,5

2,3,6

72

1,4,5 – 2,3,6

2-3-6

2 and 3 first try to pass the 1. If that is not reasonable, they cover 4 and 5 to pass 6 up to a 2-3-4. If 5 and 6 are far behind, which often happens, 2-3 gang up on 4 and let the 5 and 6 catch up. Once 5-6 catch up the 2-3 split up and hammer the 4 and 5 doing a double passback, keeping them balanced across the course. If they stay balanced, the 1 on the other team will not know who to attack. 2-3 pass up their 6 and turn it into a 2,3,4. The key is to never let the other team have an opportunity to convert to a 1-2 by getting unbalanced.

1-4-5

1 keeps the 1 looking for an opportunity to convert a 1-3 into a 1-2 if the opportunity ever presents itself. 5 hammers 6 pushing them back, the more the better. 4 monitors the 5-6 and helps out if the 5 has trouble with the 6. 4 also pushes the 2-3 to the finish. 4 and 5 want to stay UN-balanced.

I should not go back to the 5 right now

because I will give the other team a 1-3

73

Team Race Starting

74

Remember:

Your team always want to be in a strong winning combination

1,2,3

1,2, (4-6)

2,3,4

1,4,5

75

Team Race Starting

In general, it is best to start close to leeward of your opponent, with speed. If all three teammates do this your race will go very well. The only exception would be the team member starting at the

boat, they may want to be to the right of their opponent with a lane so they have the option of going right or tacking on an opponent who is forced to tack out shortly after the start. If the left side of the course is favored or if the pin end is favored the boat starter can start to leeward of their opponent.

76

Team Race Starting

Your timing and position relative to other boats play a huge role in how well you will start in a team race. If you are early to the start it is better to trail a competitor

towards the line as you will most likely be able to hook them to leeward because they will have to slow down early to avoid being over. If you are late coming back to the

line it is important to lead your opponent. This is all assuming an opponent is in your area or engaging you which often happens in a team race. If you are not directly

near an opponent, just get a good start in your zone.

We are late so I am leading my

opponent.

77

Team Race Starting

Most teams designate where each teammate should start. Either the pin, middle or boat. This is called a Geographic Start.

Some teams use a Man on Man approach where theypick an opponent before the starting sequence and try to beat that boat off the line.

We are late so I am leading my

opponent.

78

Achieving a Tight to Leeward Start

Remember this: If you are trailing you want to get ‘out of phase’ with the boat ahead by heading up and falling off repeatedly. Getting out of sync allows you to hook them easily or head up as they

are bearing away to achieve some separation. (In case you want to start to the right of them with a hole to leeward, which is called Posting Up, or from this position, you can go in again for the Hook.)

You make your move low to hook

They start to bear away to protect themselves

You can hook them or head back up to stay out of phase

1

2

3

79

Getting Someone out of Sync

In step one black heads up. Step two Red heads up to achieve a tight to leeward position. Black boat then bears away in step three while red boat ‘is still heading up’. Black is trying to get out of phase with the boat ahead, with the intentions of hooking them to leeward. Black knows the tight to leeward position is powerful. In step six you can see black gets the leeward overlap, or hook, and can then luff red head to wind before the gun goes off. Obtaining a late hook in the sequence is VERY powerful, as you can bear away to start at the perfect time while your opponent is left behind.

123

456

80

Starting– Out of Synch to Hook


81


82


83


84


85


86


87


Notice the red boat did not do anything and now they are hooked and are in trouble if there

is not much time left.

88


Black should control her speed to keep red hooked, not allowing red to bear away.

Stopping your boat well is important here by backing the main and matching speed with red. Stay put until you accelerate and go for the line,

leaving red behind and late for the start.

89


90


91


92


Please note how black works red in this cycle of attempting to hook her. If you are the black boat and you see that you are not going to hook red to leeward, (by comparing your speeds) you head up hard to create separation as red is bearing away and picking up speed. This does two things, it allows you to have a hole at the start if the

clock is ticking down and you are forced to trim in and go, and most importantly, it allows you to swing your bow down and try to hook red again. Red wants to get close to you and pin you from making any

more moves. It is a game of cat and mouse. Who can execute better?

93


94


95


96


97


98


99


100


101


102


103


104


105


106


107


108


109


110


111


112


113


114


115


116

Starting– Out of Synch to start to windward

This time Black cannot get the Hook because Red defends. So Black ‘Posts

Up’, meaning they get separation to windward so they can start with a hole to

leeward.

117


118


119


120


121


122


123


124


125


126


127


128


129


130


131


132


133


134


135


136


137


138


139


140


141


142


143


144


145


146


147


148


149


150


151

Starting– Summary

If you are the lead boat, try to stay in phase with the boat behind and luff up to them as

close as possible to prevent them from bearing away again.

If you are the boat behind, you want to get out of phase with the boat ahead, to either post

up with a windward start, or go in for the hook and achieve the tight to leeward position.

152

Pass Backs

No Room, Don’t go in there.

153Offset Mark Trap

No Room!


154Offset Mark Trap

No Room!

155Offset Mark Trap

156Offset Mark Trap

157Offset Mark Trap

158Offset Mark Trap

159Offset Mark Trap

160Offset Mark Trap

161Offset Mark Trap

162Offset Mark Trap

No Room!

163Offset Mark Trap

No Room!

164Offset Mark Trap

165Offset Mark Trap

166Offset Mark Trap

167Offset Mark Trap

Don’t go in there!

168Offset Mark Trap

169Offset Mark Trap

170Offset Mark Trap

171Offset Mark Trap

172Offset Mark Trap

173Offset Mark Trap

174

Luffing Before two boat lengths

175

Luffing Before Two Boat Lengths

Brown will lee-bow and then luff

before two boat length circle.

176


177


178


179


180


181


182


183


184


185


186


187

Windward Mark Trap

Don’t go in there!

188

Windward Mark Trap

189

Windward Mark Trap

No Room!

190

Windward Mark Trap

191

Windward Mark Trap

192

Windward Mark Trap

193

Windward Mark Trap

194

Windward Mark Trap

195

Windward Mark Trap

196

Windward Mark Trap

197

Windward Mark Trap

198

Windward Mark Trap

199

Windward Mark Trap

200

Windward Mark Trap

201

Windward Mark Trap

202

Windward Mark Trap

203

Windward Mark Trap

No Room!

204

Windward Mark Trap

205

Windward Mark Trap

206

Windward Mark Trap

207

Windward Mark Trap

208

Windward Mark Trap

209

Windward Mark Trap

210

Windward Mark Trap

211

Windward Mark Trap

212

Windward Mark Trap

213

Windward Mark Trap

214

Windward Mark Trap

215

Windward Mark Trap

216

Windward Mark Trap

217

Windward Mark Trap

218

Rounding and Tacking Too Close

219

Be Careful When Rounding—Tacking Too Close

220


221


222


223


Don’t tack too close! Starboard!!!!

224


225


226


Protest!

227

Rounding—Tacking Too Close

Solution- Luff as you approach and overlap the mark and force the boat behind to overlap you to leeward.

Then tack!

228

Solution- Luff at mark, force boat behind to overlap you to leeward!


No Room!

229



230



231



232



233



234



235



236



237



238



239



240

Pinning

241

Pinning

242

Pinning

243

Pinning

244

Pinning

245

Pinning

246

Pinning

247

Pinning

248

Pinning

249

Pinning

Pinning an opponent from tacking is a powerful move. Pinning becomes more powerful the

closer you are to layline. Why? Because the opponent has nowhere to go, you are blocking

their path to the mark.

If you pin an opponent near or on the layline, your teammate can tack out free towards the

mark.

Watch Again!

250

Pinning

251

Pinning

252

Pinning

253

Pinning

254

Pinning

255

Pinning

256

Pinning

257

Pinning

258

Pinning

259

Pinning

It is very important to take away your opponent’s option to escape when you are coming in for the pin.

260

PinningAim slightly behind the opponent to prevent them from

tacking out right before you get to them.

263

Pinning

264

Pinning

265

Pinning

266

Pinning

267

Pinning

268

Pinning

269

Pinning

270

Pinning

271

PinningIf you do not aim slightly behind them as you get close they can tack out causing you to miss the pin. It is then

difficult to tack and cover them.

282

PinningAnother look!

285

Black should be aiming lower to take away reds option of tacking.

288

Oh No!

293

I tacked at the last second to avoid being pinned.

Tacking when I did makes it hard for the black boat to

tack and cover me.

294

PinningRed boats options are to tack out, as we just

saw, or clamp down on the boat in her zone. If she clamps down well, she will have two boats from the other team going slow, which leaves her teammates with a 2 on 1 against the other

team. That is good!

295

Pinning

296

Pinning

Here she comes!

297

Pinning

Let’s clamp down tight!

298

Pinning

299

Pinning

300

Pinning

301

Pinning

302

Pinning

303

Pinning

304

Pinning

305

Pinning

306

Pinning

307

Pinning

308

Pinning

Two Opponents are Going Slow!

Red will make this last as long as possible while her teammates sail fast.

309

Pinning

Red’s teammates now have the advantage with a two on one

scenario.

310

Pinning

Become skilled at making your opponent’s pass-backs

unsuccessful!

311

Pinning

If you make your opponent’s pass-backs take a long time you are

helping your teammates win!

312

Pinning

The key is to clamp down on the opponent behind you before you

get pinned or luffed on! Get control first!

313

The End

Good Luck!!!

teaching team racing 2008 powerpoint by steve hunt

Documents