Team Race Manual
Contemporary Team Racing - A manual of Team Race Tactics and Strategy by Gavin O'Hare
Below are excerpts from his book, click on any topic below to learn more about it. The whole book can be bought at the US SAILING Store or on the website www.sailingeducation.com.
Understanding the Team Racing Paradigm
Concept
Changing Combinations - The Passback
Working Together - Balance
Taking the Initiative
Understanding the Overlap
Penalties and Points
The Game Plan
Game Plan Philosophies
The Combinations: 1/2/X, 2/3/4 and 1/4/5
Game plan - 1/2/X
Game plan - 2/3/4
Game plan - 1/4/5
Total Desperation
Accomplishing the Game Plan
The Final Beat
Passing the Leeward Mark 1/3/6
Passing the Leeward Mark 2/3/6
Passing the Leeward Mark 1/4/6
The Off Wind Legs
The Hi-Lo Passback
The Mark Trap Passback
The First Beat
Port Approach Caution
The Start
Starting Strategy and Tricks
Putting it All Together
Practice
Knowledge is Power
Setting up the Practice Session
Final Beat Drills
Reaching Drills
First Beat
Starts
Practicing With Less Than Your Whole Team
Final Stage of Practice
About the Author
Gavin O’Hare grew up in San Francisco, spending his summers racing with the San Francisco Yacht Club Junior Program. He spent most of his time on the water sailing in dinghies. His first good taste of Team Racing came when SFYC hosted the 1986 US SAILING Team Race Championship, the Hinman Trophy. Since then, Gavin has raced in five Hinman Championships.
Gavin has organized several Team Race regattas in San Diego for youth, college alumni, and Navy Sailing. He has led Team Race seminars for yacht clubs and college programs around the country. While a Midshipman at the US Naval Academy, he spent four years Team Racing under Coach Gary Bodie. Gavin was on the Navy Team Race team for the 1989 and 1990 Collegiate Team Race Championships. Since college racing, he has continued to race and Team Race. Gavin is an active member within the Snipe and Laser fleets of the United States. He is a US SAILING Level I and Level II qualified instructor and has been the West Coast Representative for the US Team Racing Association.
