Sunday Technique Practice - Arthur Blodgett

Check out the below video of Denver, John, B and Joey working the waves upwind this past Sunday.  The northerly breeze gave us smaller shorter waves - more like what we'll have on Biscayne Bay (Orangebowl, Team Trials) than the usual ocean swell. The basics we've discussed at length in past debriefs - work the bow down into the trough of the wave by moving hips forward and shoulders back as you punch through the wave crest. Remember: correct positioning in the boat, knees and feet together and locking you to the bulkhead in light air or the hiking strap in heavy air are key pre-conditions to effective movement! John looks really good in this clip but later in the practice his sail trim slipped killing his pointing.

In the next video, Bryce and B show the potential with some waves (big swells or boat chop) for upwind surfing. While waves generally slow a boat upwind, its important to remember that every wave has a backside which you can potentially surf to regain speed. Note the nice shoulder 'pop' by Bryce (2nd Opti shown). 

In preparation for Naples this weekend (please read Julia's post below on logistics, Gold/Silver Report time is 8:30am Saturday) sailors should visualize themselves sailing upwind with proper technique,  getting good starts then going fast! Looking forward to it!