Racing Optimist Sample Eight Week Teaching Outline Weeks 1-2

Week 1 Program and Harbor rules Safety whistle Sportsmanship - team sport - working together - safety consciousness (Rule 1) Health - exercise - sun protection Proper rigging and de-rigging Bowline, 8 – knot, cleat knot, clove hitch, half Hitch Coil and throw a line Where, when, and how to sit Leaving and returning to the dock Towing and towing rules Swim tests Capsize and Recovery Squall/Storm drill Stopping and Starting - head to wind & backwind - safety position Mini races with no finish to assess racing skills Drills to assess boathandling Review racing rules Organization for regattas and competition

Week 2 Initiate rule of the week Port Starboard (Rule 10) Boat tuning Terminology - points of sail - all parts of boat Tying sail to spars - different adjustment for different conditions - sail position on mast Boat maintenance - minor repairs - jury rigging - washing - wet sanding ????? Mast rake Daggerboard position Mark rounding - wide and tight - mechanics - tactics - rules (Rule 18) Tacking - mechanics - rolling - rules (Rule 13) - tacking in waves Gybing - mechanics - s gybe as apposed to c gybe - rolling - gibing in waves Refitting sprit pole on water

Racing Optimist Sample Eight Week Teaching Outline Weeks 3-4

Week 3 How a sail works - pushing - pulling - daggerboard as a foil More on where and how to sit - for different wind conditions - for different water conditions - for different points of sail Upwind sailing - sail trim - telltales - finding and holding the groove - tactics in racing - awareness - sailing over waves - windward/leeward (Rule 11) - hiking Starting - mechanics - favored end - current - line sight - strategies - timing (watches vs. mind) - rules and things to watch for

Week 4 Sail Controls Clear ahead – Clear astern (Rule 12) Vang brake - adjusting luff tension - controlling draft position Boom Vang - downwind leach tension Outhaul - adjusting foot tension - controlling depth of sail (power) Mainsheet - control of pointing and speed Sprit pole tension - control of shape Sail controls and you - different points of sail - different wind conditions - different water conditions Weather - simple weather systems - clouds and what they mean - wind and weather - weather reports - barometric pressure Weather and sailing - racing…. Finding the wind! - safety Current and tides - tide charts - current indicators Downwind sailing - sail trim - sail controls - weight placement and use - tactics - awareness - pumping on crests - steering waves

Racing Optimist Sample Eight Week Teaching Outline Weeks 5-6

Week 5 Changing course (Rule 16) Review of weak points Mini Series Balance and weight placement - challenging the body on the boat - windsurfer tacks - quiet and gentle movement - steering with weight - for different wind and water conditions Finishing - dueling tactics - sportsmanship in finishing Doing penalty turns Backwards sailing Protests and Arbitration - knowing the rules - knowing who to ask - sportsmanship and hearing - mock protests and scenarios

Week 6 Wind Actual vs. apparent wind Puffs and lulls - how to spot - what to do Wind shifts - headers - lifts - what action to take when racing Rowing Navigation - North, South, East, West - using landmarks - using a compass - water depth - reading a chart - navigation buoys - instruments Intro to big boat sailing - relating the Opti to a big boat - MOB drill - anchoring - sailing as a way to get somewhere - using navigation Land and Sea orienteering Long distance sail

Racing Optimist Sample Eight Week Teaching Outline Weeks 7-8

Week 7 Team Racing TR motivation TR rules TR combinations - winning - losing TR moves - hi – lo - passback - mark traps TR starts TR mark rounding TR finishes TR legs - upwind - running - reaching Review and reinforcement of the first six weeks

Week 8 Club series - standard races - fun races Communication - sailors do fun presentations - sailors run a drill - sailors run reviews of skills Knot boards and competitions