SIMPLE STEPS TO CONSISTENT SPEED

Boatspeed is the magic ingredient for winning races because we can get away with bad decisions if we are fast, but we can't make good choices if we're slow.

- MAGGIE SHEA

WHEN speed comes up in a debrief with your team, ask yourself: Did we put ourselves in a position to be fast on the racecourse? If the answer is no, do not waste your time on the topic. A few things have to be good enough before you leave the dock. Will your sails and hull allow you to be competitive? Is your team close to the overall target weight? The best sailors can make slow boats and old sails go fast, but for most of us mere mortals, it's much harder with bad gear.

There are a few more caveats on the racecourse. If your upwind lane is compromised, you cannot evaluate your boat speed. Even the fastest sailors in the fleet cannot defy the physics of being on another boat's windward hip. Instead, they are usually better at tacking away before too much distance is lost. Also, a boat can be optimally set up, but improperly trimmed sheets or an erratic hand on the tiller will make it perform like it's towing a clump of weeds.

All this is to say it's critical that you make sure your team is doing the big things well-getting off the starting line, choosing smart moments to tack, and executing reasonable trimming and driving technique-before blaming boatspeed.