Fleet Racing is for Year 9-13 students who are competent sailors and wish to progress to racing with trapeze and spinnaker. The programme focuses on skill development and preparing students to sail in National contests.  

Students who have a goal of competing in Nationals will achieve their best results by starting in the Winter programme and carrying on through the Summer courses.

Fleet Racing Course Outline

• Technical rigging set up and adjustments

• Pre-race routines

• Starting in big fleets (mixed class and one class fleets)

• Boat handling for big fleets

• First beat decisions

• Tacking and gybing for speed

• Trapeze techniques

• Spinnaker handling (double-luff, Pole spinnaker)

• Boat speed vs height decision – modes

• Mark rounding

• Tactics and techniques

• Using the rules

• Fitness

• Capsize and recovery techniques

• Self assessments

• Weather systems, geography, wind oscillations, Wind variations and “local knowledge”

• Pre-race briefing and post-race debrief

• Sailing in the Nationals course area, where possible

• The Fleet racing program is designed to develop teams (skipper and crew) to be able to perform creditably in a National Contest.

The program is coached by YNZ qualified instructors.

Success Stories 

Our 2016-17 Fleet Racing Programme resulted in our participants qualifiying for the 420 World Championships, held in Fremantle summer 2017-2018.

Andre VanDam, a graduate of the 2016-17 courses, is the 2020 420’s National Champion.

Yearly Course Format

Winter: The course begins on the third Saturday of Term 2 and runs till the last Saturday of Term 3, starting at 9am. There is also Evans Bay Racing in the afternoons running every second week.  The structure of the programme includes training and racing days.

Summer: The course begins on the first Thursday of Term 4 and runs until just before Christmas. A new course begins on the first Thursday of Term 1 the following year. Coaching takes place every second Thursday afternoon from 4pm. Students can also charter a 420 to participate in Evans Bay Club racing on Saturday afternoons, which generally starts at 1:30pm.

Cost and payment

The cost for the Winter Fleet Racing programme is $590 for the two terms, payable before the second day of the course. No refunds will be given unless the course doesn’t go ahead.

The cost for the Summer Fleet Racing programme is $300 per term.

The charter costs for using the 420’s are included in the above fees.

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Course size

Min 6 sailors, 3 boats – Max 12 sailors, 6 boats

What do you need?

All participants must be able to swim 50m confidently. You need to have completed at least, a learn to sail course and become a competent sailor for graduation to trapeze and spinnaker. Be focused on skill development to sail in the National contest 2021. Enrol and pay the fees before the first day of the course. As well as completing the parental consent below.

It is hoped that sailors will sail their own boats generally during the season, however, a TRIYA 420 may be chartered by course members for the course. Replacement of lost spinnaker poles, repairs to spinnakers and damage due to mistreatment or negligence, (eg Damage caused by Sailing without rudder hold down pin) is sailors cost.

Gear List

For sailing in

• Standard Sailing gear

• Starting watch

• UHF radio and dry bag for the radio

• 2017-2020 rule book

• Note book/log book

After Sailing

• Towel

• Change of  warm dry clothes, including a jacket.  It gets cold in the late afternoon!

• A drink bottle

• Food for before and after sailing.

Safety

We have 2 coaching safety boats for our coaches that keep a watchful eye on you while you’re on the water. Buoyancy aids must be worn by everyone at all times on the water, TRIYA supplies these if you don’t have one. 20 knots is the cut off for cancellation of LTS as judged by our experienced coaches.

View the TRIYA Risk Management Plan