Sailing Regatta Racing Course
This course is designed to take your racing to the next level, whether you are a keen beginner or an experienced racer. You will learn the key tactics and strategies for improving performance on the race course: tuning the boat, reading the wind, tides and currents, executing maneuvers cleanly and making decisions under pressure. It also covers the racing rules, so you can compete with confidence and avoid penalties, and the physical and mental preparation that consistency in every race requires.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Sailing Regatta Racing Course?
This short course covers what a sailor and crew need to compete well in regattas. You will study the fundamentals of sailing performance and boat speed; boat tuning, rig set-up and sail trim for different conditions; meteorology for racers, including wind shifts, pressure, tides and currents on the course; start technique, tactics and strategy around the course; the racing rules, right of way and penalties; maneuvers such as tacks, gybes, mark roundings and sail changes; and crew roles, communication, physical and mental preparation and decision-making under pressure.
What sets this course apart: it links boat speed, tactics and the racing rules instead of treating them separately; it trains you to read wind and current on the course and turn that reading into strategic decisions; it gives the crew as much attention as the helm, with clear roles and communication; it treats the safety of crew and boat as part of every tactical choice; and it ends with an integrative project in which you prepare and analyze a complete race plan for a real or realistic regatta.
Program highlights
- Boat speed fundamentals: sail trim, rig tuning and set-up for different conditions.
- Meteorology for racers: wind shifts, pressure, tides and currents on the course.
- Starts, laylines, covering and positioning against the fleet.
- Racing rules in practice: right of way, marks, protests and penalties.
- Maneuvers, crew roles, communication and decision-making under pressure.
- Integrative project: a complete race plan with post-race performance analysis.
Syllabus of the Sailing Regatta Racing Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of racing performance, boat speed and the regatta environment
- 1.1. Types of regattas and race formats: fleet, one-design, handicap, coastal and windward-leeward courses
- 1.2. Principles of boat speed: apparent wind, sail forces, balance, heel and the relationship between speed and pointing
- 1.3. Roles on board in racing: helm, tactician, trimmers, bow and pit, and how they work together
- 1.4. Race preparation: notice of race, sailing instructions, course reading and pre-race checks
- 1.5. Safety in competition: crew and boat equipment, risk assessment and the priority of safety over the result
Boat tuning, rig set-up and sail trim to maximize competitive performance
- 2.1. Rig tuning: mast rake, shroud tension, mast bend and their effect on sail shape
- 2.2. Sail trim upwind: sheet tension, traveler position, twist, angle of attack and telltales
- 2.3. Sail trim downwind: spinnakers and gennakers, pole and tack position and running angles
- 2.4. Adjusting set-up to wind strength and sea state: power, depowering and reducing drag
- 2.5. Speed testing and tuning logs: comparing settings and building a reference guide for each condition
Meteorology, wind, tides and currents applied to race strategy
- 3.1. Reading the wind on the race course: oscillating and persistent shifts, pressure bands and gusts
- 3.2. Local effects: sea breezes, land influence, headlands and clouds and how they change the wind
- 3.3. Tides and currents on the course: tidal streams, current near the shore, leeway and drift
- 3.4. Weather information before and during the race: forecasts, observation and planning the favoured side
- 3.5. Building a race strategy: favoured side, risk management and adapting the plan as conditions change
Starts, tactics, racing rules and maneuvers around the course
- 4.1. Start technique: line bias, positioning, timing, acceleration and keeping clear air
- 4.2. Upwind and downwind tactics: laylines, covering, splitting, leverage and positioning against the fleet
- 4.3. The racing rules in real situations: right of way, overlaps, mark-room, obstruction, protests and penalties
- 4.4. Maneuvers: tacks, gybes, mark roundings, sets and drops executed quickly and cleanly
- 4.5. Anticipating drift and leeway in maneuvers, taking account of current, wind and the boat's behavior
Integrative project: crew performance, decision-making and a complete race plan
- 5.1. Crew communication and teamwork under pressure: briefings, standard calls and conflict management
- 5.2. Physical and mental preparation for competition: fitness, focus, fatigue management and consistency
- 5.3. Decision-making under pressure: assessing risk, prioritizing crew and boat safety and adapting tactics to the fleet and conditions
- 5.4. Preparing a full race plan for a chosen regatta: boat set-up, weather and current analysis, start and course strategy
- 5.5. Post-race analysis: data, track and performance review, lessons learned and improvement plan
Duration and format of the Sailing Regatta Racing Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Sailing Regatta Racing Course
Career opportunities after the Sailing Regatta Racing Course
Questions about the Sailing Regatta Racing Course
To complete the course faster than your opponents, or with the best corrected time in handicap racing, while sailing within the racing rules.
The performance of the boat and the skill of the crew in sailing a defined course as quickly as possible, which depends on speed, tactics, maneuvers and decisions.
Both. It starts with the fundamentals of boat speed and race preparation and builds up to advanced tactics, rules and race planning, so each participant can progress from their own level.
Yes. Module 4 works through the rules in real situations, including right of way, overlaps, mark-room, protests and penalties, so you can make tactical decisions with confidence.
Through video and track analysis, rule scenarios, weather and current exercises and race planning. The aim is to prepare you to apply what you learn on the water with your own boat and crew.
You prepare a complete race plan for a chosen regatta, covering boat set-up, weather and current analysis, start and course strategy and crew roles, and then carry out a post-race performance analysis.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7. It comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with the integrative project.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at sailors and skippers who race at any level, crew members who want to refine their role, sailing coaches, regatta organizers and sailing clubs, and keen sailors who want to start competing; sailing experience and some familiarity with sail trim and boat handling are recommended, and first aid and basic sea safety training are an advantage.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a camera, microphone and stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and access to weather and tracking apps for the practical exercises.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.