For many, regattas can be an extremely stressful time.
But they shouldn’t be.
You’ve trained for months for this one event. Now is your opportunity to show off all the hard work you’ve done.
To do that, you need to create the right conditions for your mind and body to perform the techniques that you’ve drilled into them over the months leading up to the event.
The world’s best sailors create a very strict set of routines for themselves during regattas which allow them to achieve their optimal mental and physical state for performance.
This is what the day in the life of a world class sailor looks like during a regatta.
Morning
07:00 - Wake Up. Sailing is a sport which requires physical and mental energy, so top sailors prioritise getting a full night’s sleep to prepare themselves for the day.
08:00 - Have a big breakfast. When you can be spending hours on the water per day, it’s usually difficult to get adequate nutrition in on the water. You should use your meals prior to racing to load up on slow burning carbs to fuel your racing. oatmeal/porridge is a favourite of many sailors.
09:00 - Physio. Sailing is full of unnatural movements and elite sailors accumulate years of aches and pains. Many will visit their physio prior to racing for specific joint or muscle activation and taping of any trouble areas.
10:00 - Weather Briefing. Reading a weather forecast won’t necessarily dictate your racecourse strategy, but it will help you piece together what’s happening on the water by understanding the bigger picture. Top sailors will refer to multiple forecasts and meteorologists to give them the best data.
11:00 - Arrive at Boat Park. You don’t need to arrive at the harbour too early before racing. Spending unnecessary time mulling about the boat park can throw off your routine, and unnecessarily raise your anxiety levels. You want to arrive early enough to complete everything you need (boat work, sign on, measurement, rig, etc), but not have too much time to spare.
11:30 - Coach/Team Briefing. This is the opportunity to discuss any important updates from the Race Committee/Jury, goals for the day, broad plan for the day and things to focus on. Try and get some lunch in while you’re at it.
Afternoon
12:00 - Rig and prepare to hit the water. Top sailors will try to rig as late as possible so their sails aren’t left flapping and exposed to the sun for longer than necessary. Get dressed first, then rig. Many sailors will also do some dynamic stretching and warming up on-land before hitting the water.
12:30 - Hit The Water. Be cautious of the queue for the boat ramp and/or traffic leaving the harbour.
12:45 - Warm-up/Pre Start Routine. Your aim should be to both prepare your body for racing, and give you all the information you need to come up with your race plan. Aim to check things like: boat speed, current, wind shifts, mark placements and start line bias.
13:30 - Race. Now you’re ready to give it your all.
17:00 - Physio/Recovery. Ice bath, cool down bike ride, foam roller, massage – take your pick. Sailing being a sport where you need to perform multiple days in a row, recovering between race days is crucial.
18:00 - Review footage with coach. Debrief what worked and what didn’t, what can be adjusted for tomorrow.
19:00 - Dinner. Get in a good dinner with lots of high quality protein and carbs to aid your recovery.
20:00 - Relax. Take the time to wind down before going to bed to clear your mind of racing and get the best night’s sleep.
22:00 - Sleep.
Of course not every regatta will fit this schedule perfectly, but you should aim to shift this schedule around the racing start time.
If you can’t fit everything in, the priorities should be:
- having enough time on the water before racing to prepare
- recovery
- nutrition.
Get those three right and you’ll be more than ready to perform once the start gun goes.
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