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Team Dynamics

470 crew work

At the top level of sailing, in the Olympics, TP52s, America's Cup - everything that can be measured or calibrated, is measured or calibrated. But what about the human factor? What makes a team run like clockwork or run itself into the ground and self-destruct?

In 'Team Dynamics' we explore the science that now goes into measuring the human factor of sailing at the top level. This is one of hundreds of articles and interviews that will give YOU the edge that you are looking for in advancing yourself up the leaderboard, whatever kind of boat you sail.

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Featured Articles

Getting Things Done, the Sarah Ayton way (in: Psychology): Now in his mid-40s, Paul Brotherton shouldn't be racing 49ers! But he is, and very successfully, when he hasn't damaged his knee [Paul had to miss Skandia Sail for Gold 2010 due to knee surgery]. After retiring from the 49er in 2004, Brotherton went on to coach Sarah Ayton's crew to gold in the Yngling at the 2008 Olympics. Here, Paul reveals the single most important ingredient that he took away from the Ayton campaign and which he is attempting to apply to his own 49er campaign. So simple, you'll kick yourself. Although simple doesn't mean easy...

How to hike the Laser (in: Fitness & Nutrition): Coach to Tom Slingsby, Michael Blackburn is a great sailor in his own right. Blackburn has won an Olympic bronze medal in the Laser, and won the Laser World Championships aged 35. Even as he approaches middle age, Aussie is as fit as a butcher's dog, and a good man to ask about how to hike the Laser...

MP3: 'Planing' a Laser upwind with world champ Tom Slingsby *** (in: Boat Speed): Audio (2 minutes): The 2007 and 2008 Laser World Championships in Portugal and Australia were windy, and Tom Slingsby won both of them. He's also won two Skandia Sail for Gold Regattas in Weymouth in 2009 and 2010. The young Aussie talks about the technique that makes him so devastatingly quick upwind in the breeze...

Nathan Outteridge and high-speed tactics (in: Tactics): Nathan Outteridge is fast staking his claim to being the best high-performance sailor in the world. Aside from winning the 49er World Championships in 2008 and 2009, in his spare time he has been racing other high performance classes with great success. Here the young Australian talks through his approach to sharing tactical responsibilities in doublehanders...

Train Hard, Fight Easy: The Medal Maker Method *** (in: Boat Handling): Victor Kovalenko is a hard man to please, but Australia’s 470 coach sure does get results. And the great thing is, to follow the ‘Medal Maker’s approach, you don’t need to spend a penny. But you do need to practise...

What makes a Team? Patience & Bithell talk (in: Teamwork): Video: Luke Patience & Stuart Bithell talk about the mutual trust and respect that's required for success at Olympic level. Luke might be the helmsman, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the boss. Successful dinghy sailing teams are built on equal partnerships, not hierarchies...

470 Rig Tune with Luke Patience & Stuart Bithell (in: Boat Speed): Video: Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell made a big impact the moment they teamed up together in the Olympic 470 class. Their first regatta as a team was the 470 World Championship 2009 in Denmark, where they won a Silver medal. Here the Skandia Team GBR boys talk through their approach to rig tune in the 470....

Team Dynamics - Part 2 (in: Teamwork): Emirates Team New Zealand is competing on the Audi MedCup Circuit as a test bed for everything they do as and when there is an America's Cup for the Kiwis to get their teeth into. Team coach Rod Davis says one of the key areas that they are focusing on is how the sailing and design teams work together. "My job is to try to promote the learning process between the sailing and design teams, to build up the communication between the different parts of the team," he says. "It's a good dress rehearsal for the same process that we'll have to go through when we start building up to the next America's Cup."

Team Dynamics - Part 1 (in: Teamwork): Professional sailing teams love to measure stuff. If it can be calibrated, it will be calibrated. And so America's Cup teams will go through 200 or more keel bulb designs, and test hundreds if not thousands of hull shapes, sail shapes, mast configurations, deck layouts, and so on. But what about the human element? Do sailing teams invest as much time and effort in perfecting the human technology on board the boat?

Sailing Talk - TP52s and Future of Olympic Sailing (in: Podcasts - Sailing Talk): Justin reports back from the TP52 Audi MedCup event in Cascais, while Andy has been speaking to Phil Jones about his controversial recommendations on the future of Olympic sailing ....