Alum Creek · September 9, 2026 · triangle course · based on four GPS tracks and official finish times
Heiden
1st · 37:33
Primary opportunity: retain the fleet-leading reaching and final-upwind pace while reducing the cost and number of tacks.
What the track says
- Fastest on both reaches and the final upwind.
- Eight qualifying heading reversals were detected across the upwind sections—the most in the fleet.
- Mean tack speed loss was approximately 2.03 kt, although recovery was fleet-best at about 13.2 seconds.
Coaching plan
- Tactical restraint: before every optional tack, require a clear reason—pressure, persistent shift, layline, or traffic. When lanes are equivalent, keep the boat moving.
- Flatten-and-accelerate sequence: complete the turn smoothly, cross efficiently, flatten once, and sail a short acceleration mode before returning to target height.
- Protect the strength: log reach settings for jib lead, sheet, vang, traveler and crew weight; these settings produced the fleet benchmark.
Next-race targets: ≤1.6 kt mean tack loss; ≤14 s recovery; remove one unnecessary tack without giving up the favored side.
Teets
2nd · +0:05
Primary opportunity: convert the best opening-upwind speed into the win by improving tack exit and second-reach pace.
What the track says
- Fleet-best first upwind average at 5.50 kt.
- Only five seconds separated Teets from the winner, so one transition can decide the result.
- Mean tack recovery was approximately 17.5 seconds; Reach 2 averaged 0.21 kt below Heiden.
Coaching plan
- Preserve speed through the tack: delay final trim until the bow is through, coordinate roll and flatten, then hold a slightly eased acceleration angle for several seconds.
- Reach 2 trim matrix: conduct paired 90-second runs against Heiden or Wiley while changing only one control at a time—jib lead, vang, mainsheet, or crew position.
- Round-to-mode rehearsal: practice windward and reach-mark exits with the next-leg controls assigned before the zone.
Next-race targets: recovery below 15 s; Reach 2 average ≥5.75 kt; preserve ≥5.45 kt opening-upwind pace.
Hoy
3rd · +0:16
Primary opportunity: improve sustained upwind speed while retaining the shortest, tactically efficient route.
What the track says
- Shortest recorded course by roughly 230–520 m versus the other tracks.
- Reached competitively, particularly on Reach 2 at 5.62 kt.
- Upwind averages—4.98 and 5.21 kt—were the largest consistent deficit to the leaders.
- Tack recovery was quick at about 13.4 seconds, suggesting straight-line mode is a larger opportunity than maneuver execution.
Coaching plan
- Two-boat upwind speed testing: begin even, 2–3 lengths apart, and hold one tack for three minutes. Swap sides and repeat so pressure differences cancel.
- Separate height from speed: record whether loss occurs while sailing the same compass course or from sailing lower. Adjust one variable at a time, beginning with jib lead and mainsheet/traveler balance.
- Target-speed discipline: if SOG falls persistently below the session benchmark, ease for speed and rebuild flow before squeezing for height.
Next-race targets: first-upwind average ≥5.25 kt; final-upwind ≥5.40 kt; retain the efficient route and 13–14 s tack recovery.
Wiley
4th · +3:22
Primary opportunity: address Reach 1 speed and excess distance first; those are larger gains than fine-tuning any single tack.
What the track says
- Longest track at 6,518 m—244 m more than Heiden and 518 m more than Hoy.
- Reach 1 was fleet-low at 4.81 kt, while Reach 2 was nearly fleet-best at 5.79 kt. The boat can produce competitive reaching speed.
- Mean tack loss was moderate at 1.48 kt, but recovery was slowest at approximately 18.3 seconds.
Coaching plan
- Diagnose the reach asymmetry: compare port- and starboard-reach setup, crew placement, jib lead and helm load. Reproduce the good Reach 2 configuration on the weaker side where appropriate.
- Course geometry: call the next mark bearing immediately after each rounding and check it every 30 seconds. Avoid adding distance through an unnecessarily bowed track or late layline.
- Exit acceleration: after tacks, hold fast mode until SOG is stable rather than trimming immediately for height.
Next-race targets: Reach 1 average ≥5.05 kt; tack recovery ≤15 s; reduce total track by at least 200 m while preserving clear air.