Sailing Practice- Final Beat Drills
Set up drills to start from the leeward mark. Start the drill by having boats pass the mark in position order (1,2,3,4 ect). Ensure a boat length distance between each boat. All final beat drills are similar in that they establish rounding order (combination) around the leeward mark. The learning comes from seeing how the scenario develops and what moves/tactics are required to convert your team’s unstable combination into a solid one. Most of your practice time should be spent concentrating on achieving a solid combination (1/2/X, 1/4/5, or 2,3,4) from a volatile, unstable combination (1/3/6, 1/4/6, 2/4/5, ect). A smaller fraction of your time should be spent focusing on maintaining the solid combination. When your team has achieved one of the solid combinations, don’t fall for the fool’s game [figure 8]. Know your combination and what you are working for. Communicate amongst your team mates to ensure agreement.
An important point in conducting your Team Racing practice is knowing when the solid combination has been clearly established. It is prudent to manage your budgeted practice time the best you can. Once a team has achieved the drill oriented desired solid combination, and knows how to maintain that combination, it is time to move on and run the drill again with different team member positions to affirm correct tactics/strategy or progress with the next set of drills. A list of unstable combinations and their desired conversions follows. Set up your drills to practice anticipating, acting, achieving, and maintaining solid combinations between the leeward mark and the finish.
START DRILL GOAL
1/3/6 —-> 1/2/X
vs [Illustrated in figure 7]
2/4/5 —-> 2/3/4
1/4/6 —-> 1/4/5
vs [Illustrated in figure 8,9,10]
2/3/5 —-> 2/3/4
1/5/6 —-> 1/4/5 [Same concept as illustrated in figure 8]
vs
2/3/4 —-> 2/3/4 [Illustrated in figure 6]
