Chris Alexander is one of the most consistently dominant one-design sailors in the U.S., with major wins across the VX One and Melges 15 fleets. But his success isn’t built on talent alone — it’s rooted in deep understanding, curiosity, and an ability to stay ahead of the learning curve.

In this episode of Sail Faster, Chris breaks down how feel, rig tune, and mindset intersect to create real speed. From growing up sailing broken boats in Florida, to discovering the VX One and pushing tuning boundaries, to winning championships after months away from the fleet, Chris shares how he thinks about boats, wind, starts, and performance.

We dive into managing leeway, pinching in big fleets, reading puffs on the water, extending waterline upwind, transferring skills between classes, and why imagination beats visualization when it comes to mental prep. Chris also tells the full story of an extraordinary comeback — going from 9th to 1st on the final day of the VX One North Americans.

This is an episode packed with technical insight, practical philosophy, and honest reflections from a sailor who keeps things simple — and stays fast.

My guest today is my good friend Angelo Guarino — aeronautical engineer, US Sailing Regional Judge, J/105 sailor, and one of the most analytical, hard-working racers in Annapolis. Angelo didn’t grow up sailing. He started racing in his 30s, got hooked instantly, and has spent the years since climbing steadily up a fiercely competitive one-design fleet. In this episode we talk about:

• How he identifies whether problems come from the boat, the skipper, or the crew
• Why obsessing over the basics — clean bottom, fair foils, proper weight placement — changed everything
• His “maniac” philosophy of small, continuous improvements
• What it takes to build and retain a loyal, friendly, high-performing crew
• Why feel, groove, and helm balance matter more than chasing a number on a heel gauge
• The moment his boat went into “elevator mode” — and how he now aims for that on purpose

Whether you race in a one-design fleet or PHRF, Angelo’s approach is full of practical takeaways and thoughtful insights. He’s humble, funny, generous with his knowledge, and seriously dedicated to going faster — without ever losing the joy of sailing with friends

in this quick episode, racing sailor and engineering student Odey Hariri joins Pete to share the story behind SailTalks, the new digital whiteboard that’s transforming how sailors learn, coach, collaborate, and even present protests. Inspired by the classic magnetic model-boat boards, SailTalks brings all the same clarity — but with animations, saved lessons, collaborative editing, and the ability to run it straight from your phone. Odey explains how he built the tool, how teams and coaches are already using it, and why it can be a total game-changer for briefing crews, teaching rules, and preparing for regattas — all accessible on desktop or mobile. Odey also reveals surprising use cases, including virtual protest rooms and tactical debriefs that actually make sense to the whole crew. If you’re a visual learner, a coach, or just someone who wants to stop drawing courses on a wet deck with a finger, this episode is for you.

Listeners of SailFaster also get a special discount code for premium features (note this is not a paid sponsored episode or advertising)