Leebow · Graham Eger
Sailing support
I work with boat owners and coaches on regatta preparation, race debriefs and boat performance. We start with your event, what the crew wants to improve and the sailing time available.
Inshore analysis
A tack that preserves speed can leave the boat in a poor lane. A quick rounding can follow a costly approach. We review the approach, maneuver and recovery together, accounting for the wind and traffic.
I can examine starts, maneuvers and individual legs using instrument recordings, tracks and crew observations. The comparison might be between several tacks in one session, the same maneuver across training days, or boats sailing together. Entry speed, wind angle, sail configuration and traffic need to be comparable.
The J/88 performance study uses Exile’s recordings. It distinguishes speed through water from speed over ground and defines how recovery is measured. Recording gaps and excluded events are documented alongside the results.
Work backward from the next regatta: choose a practice question, agree who owns the remaining preparation, and keep what you learn for the next event. A few useful notes from the crew can start that conversation.
Offshore preparation
A routing result depends on the boat model, departure time, weather and course constraints supplied to it. We identify the fixed inputs and uncertain assumptions before comparing the crew’s options.
I can compare departure windows, forecast runs and boat performance assumptions. As the routes diverge, we examine the cost of changing course and how long an alternative remains reachable. The timing of the next forecast update may affect how soon the crew needs to commit.
The research on Mackinac, Hawaii and Bermuda examines different parts of that problem. It separates route geometry, forecast information, current and boat performance, including comparisons where a more elaborate policy did not improve the result.
Working with your data
We check timestamps, units and instrument channels before selecting the recordings for comparison. Duplicate exports, recording gaps and changes in calibration can otherwise look like changes in sailing performance.
| Source | Useful evidence | Limits to check |
|---|---|---|
| GPS tracks | Course over ground, speed over ground and relative position where other tracks exist. | Current affects ground motion. A track alone does not establish sail trim, crew intent or an official start time. |
| Instruments | Boat speed, heading and wind through a maneuver or steady sailing period. | Calibration, missing channels and sampling gaps determine which comparisons are reliable. |
| Video and crew notes | Traffic, preparation, handling and the reason a maneuver was attempted. | The recording needs a usable time reference. An observation can remain uncertain even when the track is precise. |
| Forecasts and polars | Predicted passage times and the effect of changing an assumption. | Forecast issue time, coverage and the polar’s operating range limit the conclusions. |
Repeated samples from one tack provide detail about a single event. Assessing repeatability requires more maneuvers under comparable conditions. Where those recordings are missing, a training session can provide them.
The debrief or brief
We agree the question and scope before preparing the analysis. A debrief can include selected traces, comparisons between maneuvers, notes from the crew or coach, and a proposed practice exercise. An offshore brief can include route alternatives, arrival estimates, the inputs behind them and observations that would prompt a review.
Maneuver plots include the time reference and recovery definition. Arrival estimates identify the departure time, forecast and boat performance assumption. If two explanations fit the evidence, the brief describes what further observations could distinguish them.
We review the findings with the crew before recommending changes. A slower turn may have been a deliberate duck, or a conservative route may have reflected a handling limit absent from the model.
Discuss your boat and event
Send the boat or program, the event or training dates, and the question you are working on. A description of the instruments, recordings and notes available is enough to begin. We’ll agree the scope and how to exchange files privately.
The public research and simulations show the methods used here. Private recordings and reports are shared only within the agreed permissions; a public example requires separate agreement.