Race Week Preparation Schedule — Lupo Di Mare
Newport Bermuda Race 2026
Boat: Italia 12.98 Fuoriserie (Lupo Di Mare), LOA 42.6 ft, carbon rig, J1/J2/J3 on forestay track (foredeck peels), J4 on dedicated furler (own halyard + 3-to-1 tack line), 2-blade folding prop (per ORR cert). Crew: ~10 who have NOT sailed this boat together. Delivery was mostly motoring; race week is the first real sailing. Start: Friday June 19, 2026, 1300 EDT. Prep days: Sun Jun 14 – Thu Jun 18.
The most important thing
You will not finish this schedule. Fine. Never skip water time. Boat hour beats routing-software hour, every time. The race is 70–90 h offshore with an unfamiliar crew on an unfamiliar boat; no weather work makes up for a crew that can't find the lines when a squall hits at 0200.
Priority order if you must cut: 1. A2-1 set + douse ×3 (day/night) 2. Headsail peel J1→J3, J3→J4 3. Reef #1 drill ×2 (day + night) 4. Night watch handoff, radar operation, on-watch procedures 5. Instrument verification vs polar 6. A3 set + douse ×2 (should-do) 7. A1-1/A1.5-1 set + douse (should-do) 8. Squall protocol drill (should-do) 9. Routing run, weather brief (nice-to-have) 10. Rig tune beyond baseline (nice-to-have)
Shore admin (Newport, Jun 15–18) — do not skip
Race-office paperwork that bites on arrival in Bermuda if missed. Confirm all of this against the 2026 NOR / SIs (hours and deadlines change):
- [ ] Pre-clear Bermuda Immigration at Newport Race HQ (per NOR; window ~Jun 15–18). Every crew member, passports in hand — it avoids a slow clear-in on arrival in Bermuda.
- [ ] On-site registration completed by the deadline (
____; per NOR ~1600 Jun 17). - [ ] YB satellite transponder collected at registration and mounted per the supplier's instructions (location confirmed, powered, tested).
- [ ] SIs collected and read (finish line, channels, time limit) → feed Card 08 + Card 11 + the comms plan.
Day 1 — Sun Jun 14 (T-5): Systems check + first sail
Morning — boat walk-through (dockside, every crew member)
- Walk every line cleat→sail; name it out loud. Touch: primary/secondary winches, halyard exits, sheet leads, traveler, mainsheet, vang, preventer attachment.
- Inventory every locker: storm jib, trysail, first aid kit, forward jackline attachment.
- Carbon mast: spreader bases, VHF cable, steaming light, mast-base drain.
- Folding prop: opens under power, closes under sail; know how to check it's folded.
- Locate: head, galley, nav station, battery switches, breaker panel, bilge pumps (manual + auto), engine start/stop.
- Safety gear: jacklines, tethers, EPIRBs, liferaft, horseshoe, flares, ditch bag.
Instrument check (dockside): boot all electronics; confirm BSP, TWS, TWA, AWS, AWA, TWD, depth, log, GPS SOG/COG, heading (mag + true). Note any mag-heading vs GPS-COG difference at rest. Confirm AIS targets, radar sweep/range/acquisition, log reads non-zero with flow. Record: current instrument offset settings (restore these if reset offshore); actual masthead sensor height for true-wind shear correction (cert reference: I = 57.5 ft / 17.5 m to the forestay head; confirm the boat's sensor value).
Afternoon — first sail (3–4 h): get the crew functioning, not competitive
Take whatever wind is available; do not cancel for breeze. Sequence: depart under power (confirm prop engage/disengage) → raise main (note halyard/outhaul/cunningham, who does what) → hoist J1, sail upwind → tack ×4 (call + time) → bear to 90° TWA → gybe ×2 (main only, then J1) → drop J1, motor back. Don't rush. Record: tack time helm-call→settled (target <60 s at this stage); gybe time; role confusion; rigging issues (noisy blocks, sticky furl, slipping clutch). Polar first pass: upwind TWS 10–14, TWA ~38–42° → cert polar BSP ~7.0–7.3 kts; record actual + discrepancy. Rig underway: check shroud pins; mast movement at partners on tack; forestay sag; spreader sweep/contact. Evening debrief: what doesn't everyone know yet? Who owns which watch position? What felt wrong?
Day 2 — Mon Jun 15 (T-4): Kite work
Morning — rig tune + kite prep (dockside, 2 h)
Rig has 2 spreaders, no inner stay, no running backstays — mast support is entirely the permanent shrouds. - Cap + lower shroud tension: measure (Loos gauge); if no targets, call North Sails Newport before Tue AM. - Backstay adjuster: confirm type (hydraulic/mechanical), know range + upwind/downwind settings. - Prebend: sight the luff groove gooseneck→masthead; expect small fore-aft prebend; record. - Forestay sag: confirm it reduces as backstay hardens. Kite prep: lay out A2-1, A1.5-1, A3; inspect UV/stitching/attachments. Confirm each sail's halyard, sheets, tack point. Pack A2-1 + A3 in race turtle; practice retrieval. Confirm halyards run inside/outside forestay and whether kite sets inside/outside J1.
Afternoon — asymmetric sets + douses (4–5 h, 10–18 kts beam-broad reach). Do not cut short.
A2-1 sets (deep running, 140–170° TWA, 12–18 kts): Set #1 slow, roles assigned (helm bears away; foredeck hooks halyard; tack line to bowsprit; sheet aft around leeward shroud; assign hoist/tail/winch/trim calls). Time set→drawing (target <90 s by start). Sets #2–3 faster. Douse #1 (walk through first): foredeck on halyard-release signal; tack line released / bowsprit retracted (confirm setup); sheet eased; gather to hatch/leeward rail; halyard run back, stow. Time douse→stowed (target <3 min in 15 kts). Douses #2–3 repeat. - Watch for: foredeck safety over the bow; clean tack-line release; sheets clearing the forestay-track headsail; confirmed kite-stow location BEFORE racing. A3 set (15–20 kts) at least once — it's your squall-recovery kite (likely A3 in 18–22 kts). Record: best A2-1 set/douse, A3 set/douse; foredeck role confusion. Evening debrief: assign permanent kite roles (forward/sheet/guy/helm/tail/clear-call), write them down, copy to nav station.
Day 3 — Tue Jun 16 (T-3): Headsail peels + upwind work
Morning — headsail change practice (on water, 3–4 h). The session most crews skip — don't.
J1/J2/J3 on the forestay track: every change is a twin-groove peel (new sail up unused groove while old flies, then drop/bag old). ~10–15 min for an experienced crew in 20 kts + seaway; longer for a first-time crew. J4 is the exception — own furler, own halyard + 3-to-1 tack line; deploy/recover is a furl-line operation from the rail just aft of the shrouds (furl line terminates there, not led to cockpit), not a foredeck peel. J3↔J4 is two operations (J3 track drop/hoist + J4 furl/unfurl) — drill as a sequenced pair.
Transitions needed: J1→J3 (building 18–22 kts, track peel — most common, do ×3); J3→J4 (25+ kts: drop J3, unfurl J4); J4→J3/J1 (post-front: furl J4, then hoist on track). Peel J1→J3: stage J3 windward bow → prep second halyard (verify a second headsail halyard exists now); if single halyard, stage J3 below J1 on the track (overlap method) — decide method before you need it → hoist J3 → sheet in leeward → drop + cleanly bag J1 (a half-bagged sail in a seaway is a mess). Peel #1: don't time, get roles clear. Peel #2: time it. Target <8 min in 15 kts upwind. Record: best J1→J3 + J3→J4 peel times; bolt-rope runs freely in BOTH track grooves; second halyard rigged/workable.
Afternoon — upwind calibration + polar verification (3 h). The one routing-priority task that needs moving-boat data.
Sail close-hauled in stable 10–18 kts. For TWS 10/12/14/16: record TWS, TWA, BSP (log), SOG (GPS) after 2 min settle. Compare to the ORR cert polar (../02_polars/lupo_polar_analysis.md; raw grid nav/polars/lupo.pol) — upwind rows use the cert optimal beat angle:
| TWS | TWA | Polar BSP | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | ~42° | 6.96 | ||
| 12 | ~40° | 7.17 | ||
| 14 | ~38° | 7.29 | ||
| 16 | ~38° | 7.37 | ||
| 12 | 90° | 8.82 | ||
| 14 | 110° | 9.44 | ||
| 16 | 110° | 9.71 |
Discrepancies: 5–10% below polar = normal for a cruising-trim boat → apply 0.92–0.95 multiplier in routing software. >15% off at 110° → suspect polar error or antifouling drag; fix before race. SOG vs BSP >0.3 kts apart in flat water → leeway/offset issue; investigate. Backstay underway: upwind 14 kts, sight main luff for pumping / excess forestay sag; record settings for light upwind, heavy upwind, reaching.
Evening — routing software session (2 h). Now — not earlier — grounded in two days of real boat data.
Update polar with your correction factor; pull GRIB/ECMWF/GFS for the race window (focus 0–72 h); run rhumb vs optimized; read the shaping analog. Record: forecast analog so far; expected Stream-crossing TWS; recommended Stream entry latitude; current best-elapsed route option. (Baseline, not the final decision.)
Day 4 — Wed Jun 17 (T-2): Night procedures + squall drill
Morning — night-watch simulation (3 h, daylight rehearsal of night ops)
- Assign watches; confirm watch captains, navigator wake rules, skipper-call threshold.
- Run a simulated handoff: wind, course, sail, next decision point, who's on deck, what to watch.
- Foredeck tether-clip-in before going forward — everyone, in daylight, until automatic. Radar drill: demonstrate spotting a squall echo, estimating range/speed, calling it: "radar contact, bearing X, range Y, tracking Z." Wake threshold: squall echo within 20 nm at night = navigator wakes + assesses. MOB drill: one figure-8 return to a buoy/fender. Not optional. At the debrief, fill the boat-specific blanks in the MOB card — MOB-button location, recovery method, and the watch-slot role table (assign by slot, e.g. W1 Bow / W2 Helm — never personal names) — then reprint and post it at the nav station.
Afternoon — squall protocol drill (on water). Before the race, not during it.
Sequence: (1) call squall + ETA → (2) helm bears to safe gybe angle if kite up → (3) foredeck preps douse → (4) "douse" on mark → (5) helm heads to close reach/upwind → (6) first reef in (<3 min) → (7) confirm headsail (swap to J3 if J1 up and going 25+) → (8) all clip in → (9) non-essential crew below/companionway → (10) confirm total time — must finish BEFORE the squall. Targets: kite-down→reef-in <5 min total; all clipped in before gusts. J1→J3 may take too long inside the Stream — default: J1 stays with reef until squall passes. Run ×3: A2-1 up @14 kts; night sim (hatches closed, lights down); A3 up @18 kts. Record: best kite-down→reef time; role confusion; reef line pre-rigged + grabbable at night (fix if not). Reef #1 check: confirm slab method, electric/manual, cleat location, tack pendant hook/line. Time a reef with full crew AND with 5 crew (some below). Target <3 min with 4–5 on deck.
Evening — crew briefing (60–90 min, all present). The most important meeting of race week.
- Watch structure: who, when, who wakes whom, why.
- Sail-change authority: who calls a change, what threshold, who can call "douse" at night without the skipper.
- Squall protocol: review the afternoon drill; show a radar echo on the plotter — "see this, do this."
- Stream entry: everyone awake; in A2-1 or A3 going in; do NOT change sails inside the Stream except absolute emergency.
- If unsure: take the conservative option, accept the speed loss.
- Medical: who holds the kit, who has offshore medical training.
- Comms: check-in schedule, HF schedule, sat-phone protocol.
- Routing onboard: who runs it, when, when updates reach the helm. Distribute: laminated one-page squall protocol; watch schedule; onboard Cards 04 + 05.
Day 5 — Thu Jun 18 (T-1): Short tuning sail + prep
Morning — final tune (2–3 h max, don't over-sail the crew)
Final BSP/TWS verification; one A2-1 set + douse at race pace; confirm + sticker backstay settings near the adjuster; check for rig noise. Rig final: all cotter pins / split rings both sides; spreader boots; masthead fly/sensor; halyards correct + untwisted; J1 on track ready with start sheets; preventer rigged + accessible. Instruments final: BSP calibration factor loaded in routing software; TWS offset vs feel; AIS MMSI + name broadcasting; radar operational.
Afternoon — boat prep only (no sailing)
Crew rest; final provisioning; stow gear sensibly (no loose bilge items); confirm storm jib + trysail both accessible without moving gear; final briefing (start plan, watch assignments, questions). Final routing (30–45 min max): latest 12–72 h forecast; Stream position vs earlier week; write down planned entry latitude; set start go/no-go criteria.
Day 6 — Fri Jun 19 (RACE DAY): Start 1300 EDT
No practice; crew rested, boat ready. Arrive 3 h before start → instrument check (30 min) → rig walk-through (20 min) → confirm start headsail (likely J1) → race.
Consolidated maneuver tracking log
| Maneuver | Drill #1 | Drill #2 | Best | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2-1 set | <90 sec | |||
| A2-1 douse | <3 min | |||
| A3 set | <2 min | |||
| A3 douse | <4 min | |||
| J1→J3 peel | <8 min | |||
| J3→J4 peel | <8 min | |||
| Reef #1 in | <3 min | |||
| Reef #1 out | <3 min | |||
| Tack (J1) | <45 sec | |||
| Gybe (main) | <60 sec | |||
| Kite-down-to-reef | <5 min |
Instrument calibration log
| Parameter | Recorded | Polar Target | Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSP TWS 10, TWA 42° | 6.96 kts | |||
| BSP TWS 14, TWA 38° | 7.29 kts | |||
| BSP TWS 14, TWA 90° | 9.04 kts | |||
| BSP TWS 14, TWA 110° | 9.44 kts | |||
| BSP TWS 16, TWA 110° | 9.71 kts | |||
| BSP TWS 16, TWA 120° | 9.90 kts | |||
| Upwind BSP correction factor | 1.000 | |||
| Reaching BSP correction factor | 1.000 | |||
| TWS masthead offset | — | |||
| AWA masthead offset | — |
Rig tune log
| Parameter | Measurement | Setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper cap shroud tension | |||
| Lower shroud tension | |||
| Backstay — upwind 10–15 kts | |||
| Backstay — upwind 15–22 kts | |||
| Backstay — reaching | |||
| Mast prebend at partners | |||
| Forestay sag — backstay off | |||
| Forestay sag — backstay on | |||
| Spreader angle — swept? | |||
| Shroud pin issues |
Final reality check (answer before the start)
- Has every crew member gone forward offshore (or in simulated conditions)?
- Can every watch captain douse the kite in the dark without the skipper?
- Does everyone know where the reef line is and can find it with a flashlight at 0300?
- Have you timed a reef at night / low light?
- Can the navigator call a squall from radar to cockpit?
- Has the squall protocol been drilled?
- Do you have actual polar numbers to compare against during the race?
- Does the crew know the Stream entry plan and why you won't change sails inside it?
Any "no" takes priority over remaining routing or calibration work.
First-principles plan for a crew racing this boat for the first time. Goal: competence and safety at sea, not perfection. Updated 2026-05-28 (condensed for scannability; all drills, targets, and logs preserved).