Coaching & crews — the "long base" plan

27 July 2026

Off-season training is the least interesting part of the year to write about and the part that decides most of the results, so it is worth explaining how it is put together rather than letting people guess.

There are two coaches and three squads, which does not divide neatly. The answer is that squads are not fixed: the same water time is shared out by what each crew needs that month, and crew lists are revisited every four weeks.

Why the first block is dull on purpose

Nothing in the first block is a trial. The temptation every season is to start selecting crews in the first cold week, and every season the crews chosen then are the wrong ones. Selection starts in the second block, and the first is for mileage.

• Squad lists reviewed every four weeks
• No selection before the second block
• Ergo scores published, but never used alone
• A guaranteed outing a week for every member

A dull first block is the cheapest speed there is.

Tags: training, coaching