JUNIOR RACE SQUAD W O R S E R B A Y 2 0 0 2 – 3

Welcome to the JUNIOR RACE SQUAD for the second half of the 2002-3 sailing season. The focus is now firmly on preparations for the Optimist nationals. We intend to have heaps of fun sailing between now and the nationals and, at the same time, focus on improving some of our skills, so that hopefully we can all meet our individual “outcome objectives”. Before Christmas we had a goal setting session to prioritise “performance objectives” for the Junior Race Squad. The following graph lists these objectives in order of importance. We have grouped these objectives into two broad areas and have designed a set of training activities to help us refine our “starting” and “boat handling” skills. These activities aim to equip you with the ability to perform the following sailing tasks, which in turn should help you meet your “outcome objective” for the nationals.
Starting skills focus - Getting to the start line with plenty of time to spare - Working out the time between changes in wind pressure - Working out which way the wind shifts when the pressure increases - Finding a transit point to use at the start - Identifying the best end of the start line to start at - Working out where the first shift or increase in pressure will be after the start - Being between the committee boat and the start buoy for all of the last five minutes - Checking that the best end of the line is still the best end of the line - Establishing position with three minutes to go - Maintaining a gap to leeward and position with transit for last two minutes - Building up speed for last fifteen to twenty seconds - Hitting the line when the gun goes - Making the most of a good start - Recovering from a bad start	Boat Handling skills focus GYBING AND TACKING - Roll tacking every time - Roll gybing every time UPWIND - Sail trim for speed in flat seas - Sailing in high mode - Sailing in low mode - Avoiding pointing too high when the breeze is light - Avoiding tacking too often - Picking the wind lines and wind shifts in shifty conditions DOWNWIND - Boat Trim: moving your body and working your boat to keep it going fast - Staying in the breeze line downwind - Kiting everywhere - Getting and staying on the plane MARK ROUNDING - Gaining places at the top mark - Gaining places at the gybe mark - Gaining places at the bottom mark - Mark rounding rules
The Junior Race Squad Support Team Convener: Dean Stanley Home 972 3326 Cell 021 332609 Email dean@lea.co.nz Manager: Pip Hanns Home 385 7944 Cell 025 438246 Pip is the person to contact for information about travel and accommodation for the various regattas and events that we will be attending in the build up to the nationals. Coaches: Dean Stanley Race squad & Picton trip Joe Porebski Race squad & Picton trip Tom Taylor Opti squad 3 & Picton trip Greg Wilcox Picton trip Weather: Pete Hanns Home 385 7944 Cell 025 438246	Briefings Tuesday night training briefing is at 4.00 pm and on the water sessions start at 4.30 pm and generally run for 1.5 to 2.0 hours. Saturday sailing at Worser Bay begins with a briefing at 9.30 am. From the beginning of March through to Easter opti sailors are encouraged to organise their own sailing sessions with their buddy on Thursday nights. No coaching support is provided on Thursday nights. Keep up to date on the web at wbbc.wellington.net.nz
The Weather Programme This year we intend do something a little different in the way we provide on the water support to race squad members at the Opti Nationals. We are intending to utilise four support boats to collect information about the weather on different points of the course on each of the race days. This information will be made available to the sailors prior to the start of each race to help them with their decision making regarding the favoured end of the start line and the favoured side of the course. It will also provide our sailors with general information about how the wind is changing in the sailing area on each race day. We intend to trial the weather programme during a couple of practice days regattas before the nationals.	The Buddy System This year we will be using a buddy system as part of the junior race squad. You will be partnered with a sailor from the squad who is of a similar ability. The buddy system will be used for: 1. Pre start preparations before all starts at Worser Bay, Regattas and the Opti Nationals. 2. Two boat testing of boat speed 3. Developing skills of sailing in high and low modes
Date	Event
Saturday 25 January	Series Races @ Worser Bay
Sunday 26 January	Heretaunga Boating Club Regatta
Tuesday 28 January	Starting: Identifying the favoured side of course
Saturday 1 February	Series Races @ Worser Bay
Wed 5 Feb – Sun 9 Feb	Wellington Opti Clinic @ Queen Charlotte Yacht Club
Tuesday 11 February	Starting: Checking speed to windward
Sat 15 Feb & Sun 16 Feb	Junior regatta @ Muritai Yacht Club
Tuesday 18 February	Starting: Transits and timing
Saturday 22 February	Worser Bay Boating Club Regatta
Sunday 23 February	Opti teams racing 9.30 briefing
Tuesday 25 February	Starting: Protecting gap and hitting line with speed
Saturday 1 March	Focus on downwind speed with guest coach Greg Wright
Sunday 2 March	Titahi Bay Boating Club Regatta
Tuesday 4 March	Gybing: Video session
Sat 8 Mar & Sun 9 Mar	EITHER: Wellington Centreboard Champs @ Paremata Boating Club OR: South Island Optimist Champs @ Queen Charlotte Yacht Club
Tuesday 11 March	Tacking: Video session 1
Sat 15 Mar & Sun 16 Mar	Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club Regatta
Tuesday 18 March	Sailing low & Hebtro trophy opti demo practice 1
Saturday 22 March	Weather programme practice with multiple starts 1
Sunday 23 March	Tacking: Video session 2
Tuesday 25 March	Sailing high & Hebtro trophy opti demo practice 2
Saturday 29 March	Weather programme practice with multiple starts 1
Sunday 30 March	1000hrs Boat maintenance check 1200hrs Picton wind & tide briefing
Tuesday 1 April	Sailing high & low plus Hebtro trophy opti demo practice 2
Saturday 5 April	Series Races @ Worser Bay
Sunday 6 April	Hebtro Trophy (opti demo between keelboat race and sunburst race)
Saturday 12 April	Opti teams racing 9.30 briefing (Burglar of the Bay PM)
17-21 April	OPTI NATIONALS
Wed 23 July – Sat 2 Aug	Opti worlds Canary Islands (Note: There is no Oceania championships in 2003 but NZIODA are looking for an alternative regatta for the 5^th to 10^th place getters)

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