Being part of an expat community, our sailing club has a relatively high turnover of people leaving and arriving. This weekend was typical – a Brit leaving and a Kiwi arriving. The Brit is an excellent sailor and great supporter of the club and always ready to offer advice. He had told me before his 6 essential points for any race and they are as good as any, so I offer them here – as a tribute to him and in the hope I can remember them.
In order of priority, you should
1. Trim the boat – flat and stable
2. Trim the sails
3. Know the course – get it right before hand, think about the next leg, visualize
4. Know what the tide is doing and how it will change
5. Know what the wind is doing and how it will change
6. Know the rules
Hard to argue with any of that. Of course, each point is a big subject in itself, but I think he has it right in putting the priorities as he has.
Great points. My trouble is usually that that first two points take so much brain bandwidth that there is none left over for the other four.
ReplyDeleteSo I deal with #3 by just following everyone else, hope #4 isn't too much of an issue, have no idea how #5 will change, and just shout a lot and keep out of everyone's way in the hope that #6 won't be a factor.
Am I doing it all wrong?
Well, if your bandwidth allows you to take care of the first two, that is a huge success in my book. Even Iker Martinez couldn't handle #3 recently. As for #6, it is relative and if your knowledge of the rules is perceived by your fellow competitors as directly proportional to your decibel level, then it sounds like you have taken care of that one also. And #4 and #5 are taken care of by the big guy upstairs and we can't do much about it. If the big guy wants to play tricks on us, then the only way out is to offer sacrificial libations to the Laser gods and see if they can put in a word for us.
ReplyDelete