Tactics

Asymmetric downwind sailing requires a radical rethink in the way we look at the downwind leg, says 49er champion and America’s Cup helmsman Chris Draper. The opportunities in asymmetrics for gains and losses are massive with the increased separation. Chris talks through his approach to making gains on the downwind leg....

Whether it’s a single leeward mark or a leeward gate, this part of the race course offers a huge opportunity for making gains through the fleet - or losing an enormous number of places if you get it wrong.

It's sometimes a tough gamble. Quantum's Terry Hutchinson provides rules of thumb for when to foot and when to pinch. "The basic concept of going fast-forward in a lift, or pinching in a header, has been around for as long as I can remember - or at least since my junior sailing days when my instructor passed along this tactical tidbit along. Going fast-forward-what's also referred to as 'making a bearing gain' - is a great weapon to have in your tactical arsenal."

Tom Burnham talks about the importance to applying a tactician's brain to your job, even if like him you're at the front end of the boat doing the muscle work. Tom did the pit on board World Championship winning TP52 Quantum Racing, and talks about the stuff that he wants to know from the brain's trust at the back of the boat...

Audio: Terry Hutchinson explains his philosophy of getting out of a tight spot if he's faced with a wall of boats ahead of him... "Instead of seeing 50 boats in front of you, just look at one or two....."

Audio (5 minutes): Paul Goodison shares his philosophy on tactics with Jon Emmett. The 2008 Olympic Champion and 2016 & 2017 Moth World Champion has some excellent insights into how to come out on top in tight boat-to-boat situations. There are some great tips here which apply to any racing boat, whatever its speed...

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...."