Winning Upwind Tactics with Roble / Shea Sailing

Upwind Tactics: How good are your upwind tactics? Do you have a thought process to help make the right decisions? How well do you deal with trouble spots, such as approaching a pack of boats, or setting up for the windward mark? Have you tried tactical moding? In ILYA Fast Forward Seminar #4, here’s a chance to peek into the minds of Olympic qualifiers Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea. As part of the Fast Forward series, Steph and Maggie share many tactical insights that go beyond the advice most of us have learned.
A more thorough debrief of the content is available at SailZing.com or watch the full video here. Use the timings in the video description to go directly to the topics that interest you or read a summary of the key insights below.
The Fast Forward series is a partnership between the ILYA and SailZing.com featuring Roble/Shea Sailing and other top sailors. The videos are edited recordings of live webinars conducted in spring 2020.
OUTLINE AND VIDEO TIMINGS - Upwind Tactics
Developing your game plan - Dave Ullman chart (00:02:20)
Tactical intelligence - from John Bertrand (00:03:14)
- Make predictions and test them
- The ongoing narrative
- Rules of thumb
Assessments (00:08:13)
- Ladder rungs - know who you are racing
- Gains in headers and lifts
- Boat speed assessment questions
- Visualizing gains and losses
- Walking through a race
- Where to start in a pack (00:22:06)
- Bail out options
- Lane management
- Three upwind modes
- Tactical moding
- Leverage and consolidation
- Covering and the coverage zone
- Cross, tack, or duck?
Q & A (00:59:13)
- Where to tack on a pack - leading back and edging out
- Left and right corner plays near the layline - Tim Wadlow’s ratings
- Using a blocker
Q & A (01:21:48)
- Layline dangers
- Windward mark arrival
- Layline Games
Upwind rules (01:30:19)
- Five refresher scenarios - crossing, tacking ahead, mark room
- Tactical applications of the windward mark rules
MORE INFORMATION - Upwind Tactics
Ducking: Decide and Execute - sailzing.me/1bq
Ladder Rungs: Understand the Race Course with a Visual Approach - sailzing.me/lwy
Velocity Made Good (VMG) - Definition and Application - sailzing.me/ovd
Keeping Your Lead, Part 2: Covering Tactics on the Beat - sailzing.me/hgg
Upwind Strategy and Tactics - Sail in Clear Air - sailzing.me/e3n
ABOUT THIS SERIES
The ILYA, Roble/Shea Sailing, and SailZing.com are partnering to develop a series of videos for youth sailors with insights from US Olympic Sailing Team & ILYA members, Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea. The videos are edited recordings of live webinars conducted in spring 2020.
ROBLE-SHEA SAILING
Keep up with Steph and Maggie’s campaign and consider donating.
Roble-Shea Sailing - www.roblesheas...
ILYA foundation - donate here or directly at Roble-Shea website - ilya.org/
Visit SAILZING.com for much more content to help you to sail faster and smarter.
Stimulating Learning for Sailors. SailZing.com
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[@mikeruhland6928]

Wally is from the87 America’s cup. Dick McCurdy and (I think it was Clay Oliver) noticed the wind Eddie’s down wind of Rotsnest island had a consistent period. Wally was the name of the program that did the math to rotary the polar diagram. With that information you would know the wind phase and the target boat speed delta to sail. So you are sailing to maximize your veg against the longer term average wind direction, not against the short term wind direction. You need to characterize the venue to understand the period and range of the breeze in your venue from the current wind direction. To learn more google ockam AND Wally. Nice presentation.

[@SailZing]

Great information! Thanks.

[@martygingras8683]

That was spectacular.