Sail1Design Team Racing

Welcome to Sail1Design's Team Racing page. It is here to serve team racing worldwide, and to provide information and education for all levels of team racers. We are continuing to develop this site, so please check back often.

For comments, questions, and inquiries about team racing, and/or to schedule a clinic or umpire clinic, please contact Sail1Design's team racing leader, Gavin O'Hare.

For more information on S1D's TR CLinic in Annapolis, click here.

Team Race Management  

• Growing Team Racing at My Club

• Team Racing – A focus on Passback and Mark trap positioning

• Sample Team Racing Notice of Race

• Team Race Sailing Instructions

• Scoring Word Document

• Team Racing Jargon -Ken Legler

• Sample Regatta Checklist

• Learn about "Random Pairs"

• Growing Team Racing at My Club

   

  GROWING TEAM RACING at MY CLUB

  -The Grass Roots Approach–

  WHAT is Team Racing?

  ·         Each race is a match between two teams comprised of multiple boats

  o        Typically 3 or 4 boats per team, but 2v2 (last-place-loses) works too!

  ·         The winning team is the one with the lower total finish:

  o        1+4+5 (10 points) beats 2+3+6 (11 points)

  o        2+3+4 (9 points) beats 1+5+6 (12 points) 

  ·         Team races are typically short in duration: 6 – 15 minutes per race

  ·         For more basics:   http://babel.massart.edu/~carrie/dfw-projects/Josh/intro.htm

  WHY Team Race?

  ·         FUN and EXCITING!

  ·         Something new and different for fleet racing veterans

  ·         A mechanism to attract new/young members to a yacht / sailing club:

  o        Young veterans of high school and college sailing veterans know (and love) it

  o        Its pace and social nature attract sailors to clubs that feature / support it

  ·         Works in all types of one-designs: dinghies and keelboats

  ·         Offers a unique opportunity to combine different generations and skill levels on the race course

  ·         Does not require new boats, new sails or tuning expertise to win…boatspeed is not that important

  ·         Encourages working together / sharing information about sailing / coaching each other

  ·         It is NOT about the trophy…it is about the FUN

  ·         It is impossible to have a boring team race

  ·         If you lose a race, the next race is just minutes away!

  ·         Did we mention is it FUN!

  HOW do we learn about Team Racing?

  ·         Pursue an introduction to Team Racing

  o        Check out a Team Race

  §         In person, spectating or crewing

  §         See Video or Animation: http://homepage.mac.com/sailing/CTR2005.html

  o        Have someone lead an “introduction to team racing” clinic

  ·         Let us direct you to a local Team Racing spark plug:

  o        Someone who knows the game (See Tactics & Strategy) http://babel.massart.edu/~carrie/dfw-projects/Josh/tactics.htm

  o        Someone who understands the culture: www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/ustrc/TeamRacingCommittee/stateoftr05.doc

  ·         Contact Gavin O’Hare gavin@sail1design.com to find a local spark plug / trainer in or near YOUR club.

  LET’S GET STARTED!

  ·         Let us help you organize a team racing clinic

  ·         Challenge a rival club to one afternoon of team racing in 6 boats (of any one type)

  ·         Organize a weekly evening series amongst a group of clubs (ask us about the “Summer Solstice” format)

  ·         Keep racing simple:

  o        Use whatever boats are already around

  o        Minimize the race support personnel & equipment…the course does not need to be perfect

  o        Stay away from long protests: use “3 Minute Justice”: www.sailingeducation.com/3minute.htm

  o        Make up Ad hoc teams, and if one team wins a few races, re-equalize the teams 

  o        Match up experienced team racers with less experienced team racers      

  o        De-briefs after racing keep everyone learning and psyched

  ·         Refer to the tools/resources available online:  www.sailingeducation.com/tools.html

  
  Reach Out For Help/Advice/Contacts: www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/ustrc/TeamRacingCommittee/

  Back To Article List

• Team Racing – A focus on Passback and Mark trap positioning

  Why Passback or Trap?
  In 3 on 3 team racing, there are 10 winning combinations and 10 losing combinations.  Some of the winners are more stable than others.  The difference lies in that less stable combinations have opportunities for opponents to execute a ‘pass back’ or’ mark trap’ and convert a loser to a winner.  Simply described, a pass back and a mark trap are techniques used in team racing by a competitor to cause an opponent to lose one or more positions and effectively bring ahead a team mate one or more positions. By example, if blue team is in a 1,3,6 combination on the final beat, and gold team executes a 2,4 pass back, they achieve a 2,3,4 winning combination.  Clearly, good positioning is critical within the execution of a pass back or mark trap.

   

  The Passback – 1,3 vs 2
  The ‘N’ race course for team racing provides many opportunities for pass backs upwind, on the reach legs and downwind. The course after the start is windward mark to starboard, windward offset mark to starboard, leeward mark to port, a possible leeward offset mark to port and finish upwind.

   

  The key to a good offense strategy (1 & 3 in a pass back scenario) is to control the opponent (2) in the middle before she has control of the team mate behind.  Of course, the defense for 2 is to control the 3 before the 1 controls 2.   2 must anticipate the pass back and take the initiative to control the opponent behind.  If 2 can stay between 1 and 3 while slowing is going on, that means that two team mates of 2 are not slowing- either getting further ahead or catching up from behind.  Whoever successfully takes the initiative (1 or 2) puts their team in better position.

   

  UPWIND:  To perform a pass back upwind, a windward ahead boat can either offensively slow or pin an opponent to leeward.  The opponent can defensively do the same to the third boat.  Slowing is accomplished by luffing the jib and possibly over-trimming the main to windward of the opponent.  Positioning here is key.  To effectively slow the opponent to leeward, your jib must luff on or ahead of the leeward opponent’s forestay.  Luffing to far aft slows your boat only, and does not slow the opponent.  Luffing too far foreward gives the opponent to leeward the opportunity to tack away. 

   

  To effectively pin the opponent, you must position your boat far enough aft to be able to block the opponent from tacking away.  But, as you do this, you may put yourself in position to be pinched off by the leeward opponent.  If you are trying to pin in the middle (2), you put yourself in jeopardy of being pinched off to leeward (3) and slowed by windward (1).  Obviously, you need to practice this to get confident of positioning and execution. 

   

  REACHING:  A slowing pass back can be accomplished on the reach leg by luffing the jib and over-trimming the main on a leeward opponent- similar to positioning discussed above.  As this happens, the team mate behind, can sail above and around both team mate and leeward, trapped opponent. 

   

  DOWNWIND:  A pin pass back can be performed on the downwind leg.  The key to this is positioning your boat to the left of the opponent as you head downwind.  This gives you the opportunity to be able to gybe onto starboard tack and then become leeward boat with luffing rights as the opponent gybes.  Once this is done, you can pin the opponent with a luff and your team mate breaks through to leeward.

   

  The Marktrap – 1,3 vs 2 – Windward Mark
  OFFENSE FOR 1,3:   Postioning to execute a mark trap at a starboard rounding windward mark is tricky.  The 1 must enter the two length zone overstood and on starboard tack and luff and wait.  When opponent 2 approaches from the left on port tack, 1 must accelerate to meet port tack 2 and force her to tack, creating the pin move so team mate 3 can round the mark ahead of both.  If 2 approaches the mark trap on starboard tack, then 1 must block her rounding and force her to sail to leeward and then effectively block her from rounding the mark so team mate 3 can squeeze in and round ahead of both of them.

   

  DEFENSE FOR 2:  If 2 approaches 1’s mark trap from port tack, she too must overstand the port tack layline.  By doing this, she will be able to duck the starboard tack blocker and still lay the windward mark.  If 2 approaches 1’s mark trap from starboard tack, she must try to trap 3 to windward of her and luff to stall the passback.

   

  The Marktrap – 1,3 vs 2 – Windward Offset Mark
  OFFENSE FOR 1,3:  1 enters the the two length zone and waits at the upper left sector of the zone.  Positioning here is important to make sure that 1 has some space to drift to leeward as she waits and still be able to round the mark.  She must also be able to accelerate and luff up 2 as she goes to windward – effectively pinning her and allowing team mate 3 to break through and round the mark.

   

  DEFFESE FOR 2:  2 has two options.  The best option is to trap 3 to windward early and stall the passback.  Her other option is to charge over the top of 1.  Because 1 is stopped, 2 can sail fast and high and possibly break through over the top and force 1 to sail her proper course to round the mark.

   

  The Marktrap – 1,3 vs 2 – Leeward Mark
  OFFENSE FOR 1,2:  1 enters the two length zone and waits at the upper right sector of the zone.  Again, positioning here is important to make sure that 1 has some space to drift to leeward as she waits and still be able to round the mark.  Opponent 2 cannot go inside 1 and as she goes above, 1 accelerates and pins 2 from rounding the mark, allowing team mate 3 to round. 

   

  DEFFENSE FOR 2:  2 must stall the passback by pinning 3 to windward of her before she gets to close to 1.  As she approaches 1’s mark trap, she loses maneuverability because she drifts toward 1 as she sails downwind.  Ideally, 2 pins 3 to windward early on Starboard tack, but pinning to windward on port will also stall the trap effort.

   

  Back To Article List

• Sample Team Racing Notice of Race

   

  US Sailing Team Race Qualifier for the 2006 ISAF Games (2*2) February 4-5, 2006   Organizing Authority: St. Petersburg Yacht Club (SPYC) in conjunction with the University of South Florida (USF)   NOTICE OF RACE

   

  1.       RULES – The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.

  2.       BOATS – 12 420’s and 12 FJ’s will be provided. Standing rigging shall not be adjusted, except by direction of the organizing authority.

  3.       TEAM – Each competing team shall consist of skippers and crew for two boats. Participants must be members of US SAILING. There is no weight limit at this event.

  4.       ADVERTISING – The regatta is classified as a Category A Event in accordance with ISAF Regulation 20 – Advertising Code.

  5.       ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY – Entries are limited to 24 teams and shall be selected via resume if necessary. Competitors shall be at least 16 years of age on January 1, 2006, and shall meet the ISAF eligibility requirements stated in ISAF Regulation 19 (http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?MenuID=d690GXxp40o19,GuSu/8JXzQ8T). Every competitor must be a national of the USA. Two teams each from the SPYC and USF will be guaranteed entry provided they meet all of the entry requirements. All members of the SPYC team(s) shall be current individual or family members of SPYC; all members of the USF team(s) shall be eligible to be on the USF Sailing Team. No-one who has previously qualified and is going to the ISAF World Games team racing event shall participate. Preference will be given to teams (3 of 4 members) that confirm they will attend the ISAF Games if they qualify. Applications must be completed and sent to isaf_2006_2on2@yahoo.com by 10pm December 22^nd. Applicants will be notified by email upon receipt of completed form, entrants will be notified of their status as soon as practicable thereafter. To complete entry, a check for the entry fee must be made out to the “St. Petersburg Yacht Club” and sent to the following address postmarked no later than January 4^th. Failure to do so will result in a loss of entrance should the regatta be over-subscribed.

                  St. Petersburg Yacht Club

                  Att: Phyllis Eades—ISAF 2006 Team Race

                  11 Central Avenue

                  St. Petersburg, FL 33701

   

  6.       FEES – The entry fee is $250 per team and includes dinner Saturday night.

  7.       HOUSING – SPYC will endeavor to find housing on a first come, first served basis.  

  8.       SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

  Saturday, Feb 4            0700                                        Registration
                                          0730                                        Participants’ Meeting, racing to follow
                                                                                          Debrief after racing

                                                                                          BBQ at SPYC
                                         
  Sunday, Feb 5               0730                                        Participants’ Meeting, racing to follow

                                          1700                                        No race shall be started after this time
                                                                                          Debrief / awards after racing

   

  9.       VENUE – Racing will take place on Tampa Bay, near the St. Petersburg Municipal Pier.

  10.    SAILING INSTRUCTIONS – Sailing Instructions will be available at the Participants’ Meeting.

  11.    FORMAT- Format is conditional upon weather and number of entrants. The goal of the regatta is to select the best team for the ISAF Games to be held on Lake Neusiedl in Austria on May 10-20, 2006. To assuage one’s fears Whishbone and Silver Panda have already earned berths. For more information, see: http://www.worldsailinggames2006.at/

  If, at the conclusion of the event, in the opinion of the Organizing Authority there has been insufficient racing to determine a winner, the additional team(s) representing the USA will be selected by the USTRC based on their resumes.

  12.    COURSE – Courses will be diagrammed in the Sailing Instructions.

  13.    SCORING – In accordance with Appendix D, except as modified by the Sailing Instructions.

  14.    UMPIRING – When practicable, races will be umpired in accordance with Appendix D as modified by the Sailing Instructions. On the water umpiring will be used for the final rounds and as many races as possible.

  15.    LIFE JACKETS – Every competitor shall wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type III PFD at all times while on the water, except while actively adding or removing clothing.

  16.    WAIVER AND DAMAGE DEPOSIT – All participants must sign a waiver form. All teams will be required to provide a $500 damage deposit prior to the start of racing by providing credit card information or a check at registration.

  17.    FURTHER INFORMATION – USTRC Event Chair: Senet Bischoff   212-906-1834         senet.bischoff@lw.com                                                      SPYC Event Chair: Richard Doyle                 727-430-3552         rdoyle@tbegroup.com

  Revised 12/08/05 0930

  Back To Article List

• Team Race Sailing Instructions

   

  SAN DIEGO TEAM RACE CLASSIC

  SDYC, San Diego, California USA, 30-31 MARCH, 2002

  Organizing Authority: USTRA

  1.             RULES

  1.1                The regatta will be governed by The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) including Appendix D.

  1.2                Races will be umpired.

   

  2.             NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

  2.1          Notices to competitors, including boat rotations, will be posted on the official notice board in the main hallway.

   

  3              CHANGES IN THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

  3.1          Any change in the sailing instructions will be posted not later than 30 minutes before the first scheduled Warning Signal by the raising of code flag “L” ashore, or by the Race Committee on the water while code flag “L” is displayed and verbal hail is made.

   

  4.             BOATS & EQUIPMENT

  4.1          FJs will be provided for all competitors, who shall not modify any yacht (with the exception of mainsheet purchase) or cause them to be modified in any way.

  4.2          The standing rigging shall not be adjusted.

  4.3          The penalty for infringing the above instructions will be disqualification from all races sailed in contravention of these Sis.

   

  5.             MINIMUM COMBINED CREW WEIGHT, WET CLOTHING, AND WEIGHT JACKETS

  5.1          The combined weight of the entire six-person team shall not be less than 840 lbs.  The team shall carry penalty

  weight if the combined weight fails to meet the minimum.  Penalty weight will be one pound of corrector weight

  for each pound of weight less than 840 lbs.  Penalty weights shall be distributed amongst the boats of a team so

  the boats with combined weight of skipper and crew less than 280-lbs. carry the penalty weights.  The jury, on

  request, may approve a more equitable distribution.

  5.2          Providing penalty corrector weights shall be the responsibility of the competitors.  Only water sealed plastic jugs,

  or lead shots in protector bags shall be acceptable.  Competitors shall carry the penalty corrector weights in every

  race, from yacht to yacht, and shall secure them in the cockpit of each yacht.

  5.3          Competitors shall be weighed by a jury member on the scale provided to determine combined weight.  Competitors

  shall be weighed in shorts and T-shirts.

   

  6.             ROTATIONS

  6.1          Boat rotations will be available upon completion of registration and will be posted on the official notice board.

   

  7.             COMPETITOR'S MEETING

  7.1          A competitor's meeting will be held on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

   

  8.             DRAWING FOR BOATS AND TEAMS

  8.1          Teams will draw for boats upon registration.

   

  9.             SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

  9.1          DATE                      EVENT                                   TIME                       DATE                      EVENT                                   TIME

  Saturday                 Registration & Weigh-in           0830-930                                 Sunday                    Racing                                     1030

  Competitor's Meeting               1000                                                        Box Lunches                           Between races

  Racing                                     1030                                                        Attempt   to not  start after      1530

  Box Lunches                           Between races                                       Trophy Presentation                ASAP after racing

  Refreshments & Dinner           1730

                                                                                                 

  10.          RACING AREA

  10.1        The course will be set in the anchorage area between SDYC and SWYC.

   

  11.          MARKS

  11.1        All marks will be Orange balls.

   

  12           START/FINISH

  12.1       The Sound Signal Starting System, Appendix Q will be used.

  12.2    The start/finish line will be between the staff from which an orange flag is displayed on a RC vessel and the leeward/windward mark.

  12.3        Teams whose warning signal has not been made shall stay clear of the starting area.

   

  13.          THE COURSE

  13.1        All courses will be triangle-windwards with start at the leeward mark and finish at the windward mark. All marks to be left to port.

   

  14.          TIME LIMIT

  14.1        RC will attempt to finish racing by 1530 on Sunday.

  14.3            If a yacht in last place is delaying the next start, the RC may order the race terminated and score that yacht points equal to last place.    

   

  17.          UMPIRING

  17.1        All races will be umpired per Appendix D2.2.  Clarification of procedure will be given at Competitor’s meeting.

   

  18.          SCORING and TIES

  18.1        If time permits, ties shall be broken in a sail-off between the tied teams; otherwise in accordance with Appendix D4.3

   

   

  2002 San Diego Team Race Classic Team Race Regatta

  San Diego Y.C., 30-31 March, 2002

  OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM & TEAM ROSTER

   

   

  
  

  Team Name: ___________________________

  Team Captain:__________________________

  Address:_______________________________

  ______________________________________

   

  Team Member: ________________________

  Address:_______________________________

  ______________________________________

   

  Team Member: ________________________

  Address:_______________________________

  ______________________________________

   

  Team Member: ________________________

  Address:_______________________________

  ______________________________________

   

  Team Member: ________________________

  Address:_______________________________

  ______________________________________

   

  Team Member: ________________________

  Address:_______________________________

  ______________________________________

   

  Sailing Club:___________________________

  US SAILING #:_________________________

  Phone:  (H)_____________________________

                (B)_____________________________

   

  Sailing Club:___________________________

  US SAILING #:_________________________

  Phone: ________________________________

   

  Sailing Club:___________________________

  US SAILING #:_________________________

  Phone: ________________________________

   

  Sailing Club:___________________________

  US SAILING #:_________________________

  Phone: ________________________________

   

  Sailing Club:___________________________

  US SAILING #:_________________________

  Phone: ________________________________

   

  Sailing Club:___________________________

  US SAILING #:_________________________

  Phone: _______________________________

  
  

  FEES

  _____              Entry Fee ($150)                      Check #_________                 Cash_____

  _____              Damage Deposit ($250)           Check #_________                 Cash_____

   

  Return to:         Gavin O’Hare, 4588 A West Point Loma Blvd., San Diego, CA, 92107

  Phone:  (619) 225 0117           Fax (619) 225 1522     Email  gohare@ondeo-nalco.com

  Back To Article List

• Scoring Word Document

   

  2001 JEAN SCHENCK TEAM RACE REGATTA

  Newport Harbor Yacht Club

  November 3-4, 2001

   

  ROTATION  - WIN/LOSS RECORD

   

  Team 1

  Team 2

  Team 3

  Team 4

  Team 5

  Team 6

  Team 7

  Team 8

  Team 9

  Team 10

  WINS

  LOSSES

  Team 1- UCI Roberts/Arsenault/Boyd

  W

  L

  L

  W

  L

  L

  W

  L

  L

  3

  6

  Team 2  - TexasA&M Daigle/Cronan/Self

  L

  L

  L

  L

  L

  L

  L

  L

  L

  0

  9

  Team 3 – Coronado Anderson/Haines/VanWaay

  W

  W

  L

  W

  L

  W

  L

  L

  L

  4

  5

  Team 4 – B.A.M.F Sellers/Adamson/Bourdow

  W

  W

  W

  W

  L

  W

  W

  W

  W

  8

  1

  Team 5 – NHHS Law/Grimes/Tupman

  L

  W

  L

  L

  L

  L

  L

  L

  W

  2

  7

  Team 6 – Slow Jammers Meade/Kleha/Lowry

  W

  W

  W

  W

  W

  L

  W

  L

  W

  7

  2

  Team 7 – Stanford Conrads/Hooks/Tulloch/Deming

  W

  W

  L