Olympian Piotr Kula offers two Finn webinars on tactics, technique in 2026

Piotr Kula, a 2012 Olympic Finn sailor, is offering two online clinics this season focused on race tactics and boat-handling technique. The sessions are aimed at Finn sailors and coaches who want concrete, drillable methods to turn race position into results and to tighten manoeuvres under pressure.

The first session, titled "Turning a lead into a win," is scheduled for 26 January 2026 and concentrates on race-tactical planning. Kula will walk through pre-start and start positioning, weighing risk and reward on the line, upwind and downwind tactics, mark-rounding strategy, and principles for holding a lead once established. Expect frameworks for deciding when to cover, when to press the advantage, and how to structure a race plan that adapts to shifts and boat-on-boat pressure.

The second webinar on 19 March 2026 zeroes in on manoeuvres and technique. Topics include tacks and gybes with slow-motion video analysis, mark-rounding techniques in variable conditions, sail trim cues for upwind and downwind performance, 720° penalty recovery drills, and optimal crew and body positions for balance and acceleration. The session emphasizes repeatable actions that sailors can practice on club boats and record for review.

Both webinars will be delivered online via Teams and are free to National Finn Association members; non-members can join for a nominal fee processed through PayPal. Registration is available through the National Finn Association registration links via Teams and PayPal. Coaches and fleet captains can register multiple sailors to create shared debrief sessions at the club after each webinar.

For DIY-oriented racers the practical value is immediate. Kula’s approach pairs tactical decision trees with concrete trimming and movement techniques that can be practiced as drills: starting holds, conservative versus aggressive line choices, half-beat trim adjustments, and timed roll-tack and gybe sequences. Slow-motion video analysis of tacks, gybes, and mark-roundings is highlighted as a core self-coaching tool; sailors can film practice rounds, compare against the session clips, and iterate technique between club races.

Community relevance is clear: Finn fleets can use these webinars as common coaching currency to standardize starts, rounding lines, and recovery from penalties. Sign up, capture your practice footage, and build a simple checklist from Kula’s frameworks to bring to the next training day. The sessions offer material that coaches can turn into on-water drills and racers can use to trim and manoeuvre more consistently under race conditions.