Prepare, Practice, Review & Race

Preparation & Reflection

To maximize their time on the water, sailors watch/read a brief on-line lesson prior to the first practice each week. It also provides an opportunity for the sailor to reflect on previous lessons and feedback, and prepare questions for their coach. Quizzes help embed the learning and ensure that sailors/teams begin practice with a common understanding.

Practice

Practice occurs twice a week during the Fall and Spring School seasons. Bronze and Silver groups practice on Tuesdays & Thursdays, Gold and Platinum groups practice Mondays & Wednesdays.

Foundational skills are introduced in the first practice, then refined/reviewed in the second practice.

Practice coaches film the second practice to provide feedback on the mastery of the skill, and help coaches and team leaders select the most competitive teams for racing. On completion of the course, this ‘folio’ of demonstrated skill forms part of the decision to promote sailors to the next level.

Feedback

Feedback is given to the sailors during a shared meal after the second practice each week. We encourage parents & supporters to join the meal to see their sailor’s progress. This is also a good opportunity to plan for upcoming events, and gives regatta coaches, team captains and team managers information on the progress of developing members of their team.

Competition

Racing in regattas tests the sailor’s skills and understanding in the pressure of a competitive setting. Racing events are categorized into different tiers which mirror our course levels.

For newer sailors, tier 3 regattas are a good practice for racing safely and understanding rules in context. We encourage all sailors to participate in tier 3 regattas to build the team’s overall skill and connection. At higher levels, tier 2 regatta results often dictate whether a sailor/team will qualify for more competitive (tier 1) events.