Tack on the Whistle
The fleet beats upwind in formation and tacks together on every whistle — the fastest way to groove roll tacks.
Boats line up abeam on starboard, a couple of lengths apart, and beat upwind. On every whistle the whole fleet tacks at once. Because everyone turns together, differences show instantly: a boat that roll-tacks smoothly holds its place in the line, while a slow or over-rotated tack drops back and out of lane. Shorten the interval as the session goes on until the fleet is tacking every few lengths; swap to gybing on the whistle downwind for the same effect.
Setup
Open water, fleet abeam on starboard with two lengths between boats. Coach RIB to windward calling whistles, starting ~30 s apart and shrinking to ~10 s. Run upwind for 3–4 minutes, sail back downwind (gybe on the whistle), repeat.
Opens the animation on the boat-length grid — run it well, then brief it from the same picture. Free, no account needed.
What to call out
- Roll it: heel to leeward into the turn, roll to windward through head-to-wind, flatten as the sails fill.
- Exit close-hauled — over-turning past the new course is the most common length-loser.
- Eyes out of the boat: match the boats beside you, not your telltales.
- Keep the line dressed: if you're falling behind the formation, your tacks are costing distance.