Driver Playbook — Lupo Di Mare
Driver / Helm role. Watch system, squall protocol, and safety basics are in Crew Orientation.
TL;DR
- Drive to target boatspeed, not just target angle — chop = balance for power; flat = prioritize angle.
- Locked heading during every sail change. No maneuver while Bow is forward unless Watch Captain orders.
- Helm transition is the highest-stakes routine protocol — overlap before solo, verbal bracket exchange, never hand off mid-maneuver.
- Down-mode for balance at first sign of slamming or stalling. Don't wait for Trim to ask.
- Helm overloaded >30 s in building breeze → call for sail reduction.
- Never round up under kite load — that is how rigs come down.
Driver Thresholds
| Trigger | Threshold | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Helm-overload call (call for sail reduction) | >30 s sustained | confirmed |
| Down-mode trigger in degrading sea-state | bear off 5–10°, ease working sheet, first sign of slamming | confirmed |
| Continuous-steering limit before relief | ≤2 hours | confirmed |
| Stable-heading ± tolerance during a peel | ±5° | confirmed |
| Overlap before solo at helm transition | ≥2 minutes | confirmed |
| Stay-period after handoff | ≥5 minutes | confirmed |
Do not improvise in race conditions.
Helm Transition Protocol
Timings below are locked race-week. Do not skip because "we're both experienced" — the boat is non-recoverable mid-maneuver during a transition.
| Step | Action | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Off-coming driver calls "60 seconds to handoff" | T-60 s |
| 2 | New driver at helm beside current driver, observing | T-30 s |
| 3 | Verbal bracket exchange (5 elements, see below) | T-15 s to T-0 |
| 4 | New driver takes wheel; current driver stays at helm position | T+0 |
| 5 | Current driver stays nearby through stay-period | T+0 to T+5 min |
| 6 | Current driver clears helm position once new driver settled | T+5 min |
Verbal bracket exchange — all 5 elements, in order:
- [ ] Heading and target band — "we're at 195°T, target 200°T on this band of pressure."
- [ ] Instrument readings — TWS, TWA, BSP, target VMG.
- [ ] Helm feel — "she's loaded" or "she's light, head up in the puffs."
- [ ] Last tactical decision — "Trim is calling for a high-mode test in the next puff."
- [ ] New driver acknowledges out loud before taking the wheel.
Never hand off during: a sail change, a sheet ease, a squall response, a tactical maneuver. Wait for the boat to be stable.
Watch-On Duties
- Take instrument hand-off: heading, TWA, TWS, BSP, target TWA per polars or Navigator's last call.
- Steer to target boatspeed — in chop, balance for power; in flat water, prioritize angle.
- Call wind shifts and pressure that Trim can't see from leeward.
- Hold steady heading and speed envelope during every sail change — do NOT maneuver during a peel unless ordered.
- Down-mode (bow off, ease for power) at first sign of slamming or stalling; don't wait for Trim.
- Monitor sea-state, traffic, weather to windward, any radar echo Watch Captain flags.
- Hand wheel for breaks within continuous-steering limit.
Watch-Off Duties
- Brief incoming driver via the watch-handoff card below.
- Hand off any pending tactical decision from Skipper or Navigator.
- Sleep. Eat and hydrate before going below.
- Off-watch driver is the first call for any tactical maneuver requiring a fresh helm.
Watch-handoff card — driver to driver (verbal, every handoff):
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| Current TWA mode | "pointing" / "VMG" / "reaching" |
| Target BSP | "8.2 kts in this pressure band" |
| Helm feel | "loaded" / "light" / "neutral" |
| Pressure trend (last 30 min) | "building gradually" |
| Sail trim mode | "two clicks below max twist" |
| Outstanding tactical instruction | "Navigator wants 198° after next shift" |
Sail Change Choreography
During every sail change, Driver's job is to STABILIZE the boat for the bow. Hold briefed heading inside ±5°. Do NOT call wind-shift adjustments to Trim during a peel unless the shift is >15° or persistent for >2 minutes.
Per-maneuver driver guidance
J-sail peel: - Maintain stable heading and BSP around target so the foredeck is predictable. - If peel is in chop, steer for boat balance (slight bow-down) so the foredeck is as stable as possible.
Asymmetric set: - Coordinate the bear-away with Trim: as Trim sheets in, Driver bears off to working angle. - Do not bear off too aggressively before kite fills — kite needs apparent wind to inflate. - Once loaded, settle into working TWA per polars.
Asymmetric peel: - Hold a stable heading throughout — new kite needs predictable apparent wind to fill. - If Trim asks for a heading adjustment to help new kite fill, respond within 5 seconds.
Spinnaker douse: - Coordinate with Trim and Watch Captain on the douse heading. - For leeward douse: bring boat to a heading that puts kite in lee of main — kills the kite and lets bow gather it. - Do NOT round up during a douse under load.
Code 67 deploy/recover: - Deploy: steer to working TWA as sail unfurls; Code 67 wants a tighter angle than an A-sail. - Recover: hold stable reaching angle while Pit furls.
Reef in/out: - Bear off to wider angle to depower main; ease pressure on rig. - Hold steady course while Pit works reefing line; return to working angle once "reef in" is called.
Comms Protocol
Driver calls in: - Heading and target bracket to Trim and Watch Captain. - Pressure changes: "puff in 10 seconds," "lull through," "header coming." - Mode change: "going high," "going low," "VMG mode." - "Helm overloaded" — requires immediate trim adjustment or sail reduction.
Driver calls out: - To Trim: pressure reads, mode confirmation, sheet pressure feel. - To Watch Captain: any wind trend not yet on instruments. - To Navigator: any persistent shift that should affect routing.
Escalation: - Helm overloaded >30 s in building breeze → call for sail reduction. - Steering control lost (cavitation, broach onset) → call "round up" or "bear off" to Trim.
Failure Modes
| # | Mode | Symptom | Recovery | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helm transition with no overlap | Heading bobble; BSP drops; boat takes minutes to settle | Outgoing driver retakes wheel, restabilizes, repeats protocol | Enforce ≥2 min overlap; verbal bracket exchange; never skip |
| 2 | Driver maneuvers during sail change | Foredeck unstable; peel takes 2–3× normal time | Return to briefed heading; restart peel | Locked heading (±5°) during every sail change |
| 3 | Late down-mode in degrading sea-state | BSP drops, boat slams, working sail collapses | Bear off 5–10°, ease working sheet, settle into balance | Read sea-state, not just wind; balance is faster than angle in chop |
Race-Week Deliverables
All thresholds confirmed ✅ (see table above). No open items.
Cross-references
Onboard cards: - Card 01 — Start to Block Island - Card 04 — Gulf Stream Entry — Stream chop; down-mode for balance - Card 05 — Inside Gulf Stream - Card 09 — Squall & Frontal Response — bear off to broad reach as kite comes down; do not round up under load - Card 10 — Tactical Scenarios — Heavy Air section
Reference:
- 02_polars/lupo_polar_analysis.md — target BSP and TWA per TWS
- lupo_di_mare_specs.md — helm feel context