About First Shift
Yacht Racing Intelligence
Every race is shaped by a shift
Sometimes it's the obvious one—a ten-degree wind lift that changes the race. Sometimes it's a tidal transition, a weather front, a change of sail, a decision to tack, or simply a moment when one crew sees the opportunity before everyone else.
The best sailors recognise those shifts early.
But First Shift isn't just about the wind.
It's about the sport itself
Yacht racing is changing faster than ever. Weather models are becoming more accurate. Routing software is more sophisticated. Instruments generate more data than most crews know how to use. Boat design continues to evolve, and artificial intelligence is beginning to influence the way sailors prepare, analyse and learn.
The biggest advantage today isn't having more information.
It's knowing what matters
First Shift exists to help sailors make that shift in thinking
Rather than chasing myths, opinions and dockside folklore, we explore the ideas that genuinely make boats go faster and campaigns perform better. We combine decades of offshore racing experience with modern technology, practical analysis and a willingness to question accepted wisdom
Some articles explain complex subjects simply. Others challenge conventional thinking. Some tell stories from great races and remarkable boats. All have the same purpose: to leave you with one idea, one technique or one different way of looking at the sport that you can take aboard your own boat
Because winning is rarely about one brilliant tactical decision
It's about making hundreds of slightly better ones
Every race begins with a shift
Perhaps yours starts here
Stuart Greenfield
The best sailors are always looking for the next shift. Not just in the wind, but in how they understand the race.
FirstShift is practical yacht racing intelligence for sailors who want to make better decisions on the water, not simply collect more information. Explore offshore weather routing, boat speed, honest RORC race analysis and much more, all written to help you prepare better, sail faster and make sharper decisions.
Written by Stuart Greenfield, a former Royal Navy officer who has been racing offshore since the 1970s. His experience spans America’s Cup sailing aboard Victory and racing as an owner and skipper in the Admiral’s Cup and Commodore’s Cup. He has competed over 200 RORC, JOG and other races, including more than 14 Fastnets, the Caribbean 600, ARC and the Rolex Middle Sea Race, and won his class in the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race in 2022.
Stuart is an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement, an offshore performance coach and the writer behind FirstShift Sailing.
Everything here comes from the rail, not the armchair.
Welcome aboard.