Three pro drills to fire up your season

Early-season sessions are where you start to win races. “Spring is the most important training window of the year. Teams that use this period deliberately to sharpen fundamentals enter the season faster, more coordinated, and tactically sharper than crews still figuring things out on race day,” says Quantum Global One Design Director and pro sailor, Scott Nixon.

A few focused drills now can set the tone for your entire season. Here are Scott’s three essential drills for every team each spring.

Drill 1: Acceleration Sprints
Slow the boat to two to three knots, and accelerate to full speed. Time the interval. This forces the entire crew into the speed loop and builds muscle memory for trim, steering, and weight movement.

Once at speed, stop the boat as quickly as possible using the rudder, backed sails, and coordinated trim. This drill develops boat control and improves pre-start responsiveness.

Drill 2: Hot Laps
Set a short windward-leeward course just long enough for four tacks and several gybes. This creates a high-tempo environment with mark roundings, sets, takedowns, and transitions happening quickly. Continue until maneuvers become crisp.

The goal is consistent execution and polishing the small details that gain boat lengths. Teams that run hot laps regularly see dramatically fewer handling mistakes on race day.

Drill 3: Practice Starts
Starts are an important parts of a race, yet many crews spend the least time training them. Those who invest here gain clear lanes and control early.

Set a line using marks or fixed objects. Run repeated timed sequences, and aim to cross at full speed, on target angle, within a few seconds of the gun. Rotate approaches from the pin, middle, and boat ends. If you use start software, these reps accelerate learning and team familiarity. Over time, crews develop an instinct for time-distance judgment and burn rate. Championship teams often run one or two practice starts before every race.

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