Always, always use a line sight. Dave Dellenbaugh, in Speed and Smarts (Issue 128) Are you skeptical about the value of a line sight? Would it help to know that many top sailors consider it essential? Judging the location of…

Crossing situations force you to evaluate options, sometimes rather quickly. Asking the right questions will help you make a better decision. For this post, we summarize questions the experts ask to help decide whether to cross, tack, or duck an…

In a previous post, we described four downwind strategy mistakes that cause sailors to lose places quickly. We had seen or personally experienced these and were determined not to repeat them. Of course, there are more than four ways to…

In this week’s episode, Olympic qualifiers Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea discuss downwind tactics for youth. Need a better way to decide how to exit the windward mark? Want to learn how to recognize shifts downwind? Want to learn how…

Would it surprise you that the picture above showing line sag is from high level competition on the world stage? In the ILYA Fast Forward webinars, we learned from Roble/Shea sailing that line sag is common even at the top…

Are you getting bad starts because you’re not being aggressive? If so, what’s holding you back? This post is designed to help you identify and eliminate barriers to an aggressive starting mentality. Even if you don’t have all the skills,…

Watch as Will Huerth and a panel of super-crews capture the magic of crewing on a scow in the ILYA. Learn about breaking in as a crew, the fun of multi-generational racing, qualities of a good crew, the road trips,…

Want to stay fast when the breeze comes up big during the race? Learn how to tighten the vang while sailing. Watch the video demonstration below. It looks hard, but after some practice, you’ll get the hang of it. How…

In our final episode, legendary sailor and coach Dave Ullman joins with Olympic qualifiers Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea to discuss boat speed. Lots of great tips here, including: the nuances of mast rake and sail efficiency, the real scoop…

In this week’s episode, Olympic Sailing Team members Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea reveal their downwind tactics secrets. There’s plenty of good stuff here for all levels of racers. Need a better way to decide how to exit the windward…

2021 Olympic Sailing Team members Steph Roble and Maggie Shea cover all aspects of starting and gave us several good tips to get that front row start. The youth sailors also had lots of good questions. The ILYA, Roble/Shea Sailing,…

What are you doing to prep for the season? An easy performance improvement, especially for your mainsheet, is to clean your pulleys. Over the course of a season, lots of dust, dirt, road debris, and who knows what else can…

The ILYA, Roble-Shea Sailing, and SailZing, LLC are partnering to bring you a series of videos with insights from ILYA’s Olympic qualifiers, Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea. The videos are edited recordings of live webinars conducted in Spring 2020. This…