Sailfaster: The Podcast For Racing Sailors

Kristen Berry kindly invited me to take part in North U / American Sailing’s Performance Race Week in St Thomas this February; this collaborative episode is a detailed debrief of that programme.
 
We unpack the structure of the week, the coaching approach, the type of sailors who benefit, and the key performance insights—from start sequence execution and acceleration mechanics to decision-making and the mental game under pressure. All of it played out in IC24s in consistently challenging – and beautiful - Caribbean conditions.
 
If you’re looking to refine your racing process and extract marginal gains, there’s a lot in here to take away.  Hope you find something you can use on the water this Spring!

Olympian and performance coach Lara Dallman Weiss joins Sailfaster to unpack what actually makes boats go faster—and it’s not just technique.
From her background in Olympic 470 racing to keelboat campaigns and coaching, Lara shares a holistic view of performance that blends decision-making, teamwork, communication and mindset. At the core is a simple idea: sailing is constant problem-solving, and the best sailors are the ones who can stay calm, identify what matters, and take the next step.
We get into how to manage pressure, why the “human” side of sailing is often overlooked, and how small gains—whether in training, communication or preparation—add up over time. Lara also talks about building alignment within a team, making the most of limited time on the water, and why focusing on process beats chasing results.
This is a conversation about clarity, consistency and learning to perform when it counts.  
(Image courtesy of Salty Brother)

in Part 2 of our discussion, Morgan “Truby” Trubovich returns to finish his deep dive on what actually wins races: process, communication, and smart feedback. He explains when results do matter, why elite teams talk like air-traffic control, and how onboard audio/video accelerates learning—often with audio proving more valuable than the camera.  So much to learn from the Kiwi legend!

I was lucky enough to sit down with Morgan Trubovich—better known as “Truby”—one of the most quietly dominant sailors in the sport. Across a career spanning 19 world championships, America’s Cup victories, major offshore wins, and elite one-design racing, Truby has developed a philosophy that consistently produces top-tier results across any class, crew, or campaign.
Over two episodes, he reveals why process beats results, how communication can make or break a race, why calm execution matters more than raw talent, and how brutally honest feedback—especially audio—reshapes what teams think is happening on board. He also shares stories from visually-impaired world championships, America’s Cup campaigns, and the systems he now teaches to winning programs around the world.
This is a masterclass in turning ideas into behaviors, staying calm through chaos, and why the quietest approach often produces the loudest results.  Enjoy Part 1 and look out for Part 2 next week!  (Image by Hannah Lee Boll)

This week on SailFaster, we break down one of the most misunderstood parts of the sport: junior sailing—not as childcare, not as summer camp, but as a high-performance pipeline that can transform an entire racing community.
Host Pete Boland sits down with Madde Vachon and Travis Carlisle of Annapolis’ Severn Sailing Association to reveal what really happens inside a modern junior program. Spoiler: these kids log more hours, more starts, and more reps than many adult racers get in a year.
Together, they unpack why juniors switch into “race mode” faster than most adults, how burnout and coaching quality shape the long-term pipeline, and why the next generation is shockingly anti-technology. They also explore how young sailors raise the bar in adult fleets—tightening starts, sharpening boat handling, and sometimes humbling sailors twice their age.
If you’ve ever wondered how a 15-year-old just rolled you upwind—or how to rebuild your own fundamentals—this episode is your wake-up call.