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MP3 - James Spithill talks starting tactics & first-beat strategy ***

Jimmy Spithill feeling the need for speed - just before he puked in the cockpit....

America's Cup winning skipper and former Melges 24 World Champion James Spithill talks through his philosophy on starting and the first beat. "The first thing to consider is fleet size. If you've got a big fleet you're going to go to one side whether you like it or not. If you're in a small fleet then you've got more opportunities to play the shifts...."

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Holding Your Lane: Etchells World Champ tells how

Andy Beadsworth in the Etchells 22
Holding your position is one of those skills that separates the good from the average sailors. "He's good at holding his lane," is one of those phrases you'll hear about a really talented sailor. Etchells world champion Andy Beadsworth reveals some clues to this dark art...

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The Port Tack Option: the 49er European Champion explains

Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme were the surprise winners of the European Championship in Porto 2015. One starting tactic that worked beautifully for the young Germans was the 'port tack option', which became more and more popular in the fleet on the final day...

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Advantages of good positioning and good trigger pull technique

Accurate boat positioning in the pre-start is very important. In this video, Laser Radial World Champ Steve Cockerill shows the advantages of good positioning and having a good 'trigger pull' technique. We'll let you decide if it's legal though...

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Starting Techniques: The Full Speed Approach

Starting Episode 2: The Full Speed Approach

Looking for a new strategy to get you clear air at the start of your sailboat race? Watch and learn how to execute the Vanderbilt Start, a full speed approach that gets you out of the pack and over the line while maintaining maximum manoeuverability and control.....

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Starting: The Dinghy Start

Starting Strategies Episode Three - The Dinghy Start

Learn how to execute the best approaches - and avoid the pitfalls - to the common dinghy race start. Also, get a quick tip on how to figure out which end of the starting line is favoured.....

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Port Tack starting - worth the risk?

49er World Champions Pete Burling and Blair Tuke pulled off a stunning port tack start at the European Championships in Helsinki. They won the start and won the race (and the Championship!). But a high-risk strategy too far? Let's take a look at the critical success factors...

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Starting Strategies: The Port Tack Approach

7 - Starting Strategies The Port Tack Approach

This daring strategy takes advantage of the natural holes in the fleet that develop just before the start. While some sailors consider the port tack approach more of a back-up plan than a strategy, it can be very useful in a crowded fleet.....

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Starting: Reaching out and Reaching in

Watch an example of "Reaching out and Reaching In", a classic starting strategy used successfully in club races every weekend. There is no magical starting technique that will be successful in every condition, and every sized fleet. That's why it's important to practise several different approaches....

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MP3: Pre-start Preparation in sportsboats - Justin Chisholm counts down to a great start

Melges 24 start at Worlds Audio (9 minutes): The 30 minutes leading up to a start are critical times, especially when you're about to start in high quality big fleet. Melges 24 sailor Justin Chisholm is a creature of habit, and here he reveals his pre-start routine...

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Derek Clark sculling to gain a winning start-line position

Derek Clark sculling Derek Clark, coach to the British 49er squad, talks about the skill of sculling the boat and flick-tacking during the final minutes up to the start. The best boats can sit and hold their position for more than two minutes, giving them a huge advantage at start time...

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Slow-speed boat control **

Ever seen those cycle couriers hold their bikes upright, even when they're stopped waiting for the lights to change? It takes great bike-handling to do that. And as Olympic gold medal winning coach Jon Emmett points out, it takes great boat-handling to sail slowly too. How is it the best sailors can sail faster than the rest of us, and sail slower than the rest of us too? It's a skill worth emulating...

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