It's been apparent in the last few regattas that the leaders in the local Laser fleets have much better upwind speed in waves than I do. What am I doing wrong? What do they do differently? I was puzzled.
Then today I saw a reference in Sailing Anarchy to an old article in Sailing World by Ed Adams about Robert Scheidt's upwind technique in a Laser. Now I've been hoarding away Sailing World articles that are relevant to my kind of sailing for years. Let's see if it's in my file. Ah yes, here it is: March 1998 Poetry in Motion by Ed Adams.
So let's see what Mr Ed says...
Shoulder down mode. In the flat water between wave sets, sit up slightly and lean forwards with the forward shoulder down.
Punch the wave. Just as the bow meets the wave, throw the torso aft and out and punch the wave by jabbing the tiller to leeward.
Unweight on the crest. As soon as the wave punch is made, come out of the hard hike, sit up and forward to unweight the boat on the crest of the wave, and pull the tiller up.
Power landing. As the boat drops into the trough, throw the weight aft and out violently and put the tiller back down to leeward.
Hmmm. Well that's certainly more complicated and athletic than anything I do right now. I'll have to try it. Just in case, does anyone have a recommendation for a good chiropractor?
By the way, does anyone who really knows about Laser sailing want to comment as to whether this is still the best recommended technique or has someone discovered an even better way in the last seven years?
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
More on Sailing and Uncrustables
It seems I was not the first to find Uncrustables unsuitable fuel for sailing. Today I received this email from a reader in Iceland.
I had to write concerning the Uncrustable sandwich. Your post caused me to spit out my morning coffee laughing and subsequent marital discord. During 30 years as a pilot for a major airline I made some thousands of trips to the US and became quite fond of peanut butter (Jif brand). Peanut butter is somewhat rare in Iceland but a few months ago my wife was shopping and in a very thoughtful moment bought a case of these Uncrustable sandwiches in assorted flavor. Her thought was I could eat these while sailing. Sadly they are inedible by humans and testing on my own dog (who is omnivorous to the extreme) and some of the local livestock indicates other species are not too fond of them also. I had taken to unwrapping them and throwing them in the sea on the idea that fish and whales will eat anything.It seems that our friend had also been reading this post about sailing nutrition because his letter goes on to say...
So I had my wife read your post as a gentle way to express that perhaps others had the same impression of this miracle of modern food engineering. She said:
"I thought you liked them?"
I said:
"They are in the sea."
She sulked for a bit while I explained that her idea was great but the Uncrustables were not. In the end all is well and I am back to cheese sandwich. The Uncrustables were donated to the local church.
I think I like this guy.
Now as to drink. It is cold here, not as cold as you might suppose but chilly. As I write it is 48 F and the sea temperature is 11 C. While I agree that:
"The goal of your pre-sailing diet should be to optimize fuel stores and hydration levels while relaxing your mind"
drinking Mimosas, Margaritas and iced rum drinks would mean sure hypothermia. So to rephrase:
"The goal of your pre-sailing diet in cold weather should be to provide warmth and optimize fuel stores and hydration levels while relaxing your mind"
Next time you sail in cold weather I suggest:
Morning
Strong Coffee
Decent Brandy
Directions - mix to taste, put in thermos
Afternoon
Bumbo
* 2 parts rum
* 1 parts water
* 2 sugar cubes
* Sprinkle cinnamon
* Sprinkle nutmeg
Directions - combine, heat and drink
Evening
Cafe Orange
2 to 4 oz Cointreau
hot, strong coffee (decafe is smart)
whipped cream
The above provide the caffeine and alcohol mixture one requires to be both alert and relaxed.
Enjoy your blog, been sailing Laser, Finn and Windmill for 25 years and for the past 4 years sailing almost daily in the fjord.
Best Wishes.
Kristjan
Boat Park Chaos
Dear Mr Regatta Parking Lot Attendant,
I know you had a tough job this weekend, trying to coordinate the movements of 250 Laser, Laser Radial and Vanguard-15 sailors and their boats and their trailers and their cars in a field that was perhaps just a tad too small for the job. The chaos on the first morning of the regatta probably wasn't entirely your fault, unless you were also responsible for planning the parking arrangements. So I hope you are thinking, like I am, about what could have been done differently.
Sailors come to this regatta because of its reputation for reliable strong winds and excellent race management on the water. But the land-side logistics can affect our enjoyment of the event too and, frankly, this aspect of the event fell way short of the mark. I hear that some people won't come to this regatta any more because they are not made to feel welcome. I'll probably be back, but only because I have faith that your yacht club can learn from their mistakes. And management of this launch and parking area last weekend was a monumental screw-up of the first order.
At first everything went smoothly. I dropped off my boat and trailer at the launch site a couple of days before the regatta after going over there to practice. My friends assured me that in previous years all the boats and cars and trailers could fit in this field so everything seemed hunky-dory.
On Friday morning too it looked at first as if things were under control. There were signs indicating which end of the field cars should be parked. Everyone obeyed the signs and slowly the field filled up. Apart from those signs, you seemed to be letting the sailors decide for themselves where to park their boats, trailers and cars. I wonder if there had been any discussion in the planning meetings about the capacity of this field and perhaps the need to park the cars in orderly tight rows to maximize use of space? Had anyone thought to suggest parking boat trailers at one of the remote parking lots to create more space for boats and cars?
Boats were being rigged. Sailors were getting dressed for the water. More and more boats and trailers and cars were arriving. Then at 9am, about half an hour before we were due to launch, the crisis hit. The field was full. Cars and trailers were backing up down the entrance road. Tempers were getting frayed. The latecomers could see that they would miss the start. There was nowhere to put all the boats and cars. Total mess. Didn't you see it coming before then?
Let's be charitable. I won't say you lost it. I will say you made an executive decision. You marched over to the young man who had the car parked furthest from the entrance, and told him brusquely to move his car to the other lot a couple of miles away and to catch a shuttle bus back. Actually you were very brusque.
He didn't take it well. Partly it was in your manner. Partly it was because he didn't understand why you were singling him out to move when he had been one of the first to arrive and park his car in a good position close to his boat. You didn't really explain that you were trying to empty the whole lot of cars. In any case, it seemed unlikely that all those cars could be moved and all those people bussed back here in under thirty minutes.
His response was also partly because we Laser sailors like to have our cars and all our clothes and tools and spare gear close at hand. It makes us feel secure. He got angry. He argued. He can't help it. It's genetic. His father likes to argue. His grandfather liked to argue. I apologize for my genes.
He stormed off. You stormed off. You tackled him again and fiercely insisted that he move his car. Eventually he did. You had similar confrontations with other sailors. Tempers flared. Little knots of sailors formed and vented about the situation and your attitude. Nobody wanted to be forced to drive to some other location and perhaps get back here too late to catch the first race. Harsh words about you and your yacht club's ability to run a regatta were exchanged.
I was trying to keep out of your way. I sat quietly to one side with the guy who is probably the oldest active Laser sailor on the planet. At least you had a bit more tact when you approached us and asked us to move our cars off site too. You did address us as, "You gentlemen." I hope you noticed I returned the compliment by calling you, "Sir".
The host yacht club and its volunteers should treat sailors like they are welcome and with some respect. We sailors should also treat you with respect. After all you are a volunteer trying to do a difficult job. So on behalf of all the sailors I apologize for the guy who called you a Parking Lot Nazi. That was uncalled for.
Some of us moved our cars begrudgingly. We caught a bus back to the launch area which was still in confusion. One of the regatta officials said he had heard that our first warning signal would be postponed because of the parking chaos. Another official vainly attempted to phone the yacht club to obtain confirmation. More confusion. Some boats had already set sail for the Laser circle a couple of miles away so eventually we all launched.
The second day you had some signs at the entrance saying that that no cars were allowed in the field. So we parked in the off-site lot and came to the launch area by bus. There was plenty of empty space in the field. We wondered why you didn't allow at least the early birds to park there.
By the third day, most sailors had worked out that we could park our cars on the road outside the field and wouldn't get ticketed by the famously officious local police. There were dozens of cars parked both sides of the narrow lane blocking part of the road. Did you think that was a better solution than allowing at least some cars to park in an orderly fashion in the field? Apparently not.
Did you reconsider when you heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights come down the road? As several police cars and fire trucks barrelled at high speed towards us could you see any problem? When the fire trucks were stopped by cars going in the opposite direction in between the two lines of parked regatta cars, did you wonder if someone in authority might question who had caused this road to be blocked to emergency vehicles? I hope the house didn't burn down before they arrived.
You did try and take some preemptive steps to avoid more chaos after the regatta was over. Telling all the sailors not to bring their cars into the lot until we were ready to hitch up our trailers and leave was probably a good idea. Thanks for thinking ahead. You didn't exactly do it in a diplomatic way though. Starting the conversation with, "Don't even think about bringing your car through the gate...." and threatening to abandon us altogether may not have been the best way to motivate us to cooperate.
But back to the first day. Don't you think it would have been better to head off the first morning's confusion by better planning? Perhaps we should have been told beforehand that we had to park cars at the other site? Or perhaps all trailers should have been put in that other lot? Or perhaps some better organization of parking would have used the space more effectively?
Can I suggest that before your yacht club hosts this regatta again you have a chat with the folks at Hyannis Yacht Club. At their regatta the previous weekend they had a similar issue: how to fit all the boats, trailers and cars into a small space. But they had a plan. They had plenty of cheerful guys in fluorescent yellow T-shirts directing traffic and parking cars tightly. They had a separate area to store trailers. They had planned it out properly and communicated clearly and so there was little stress in what was also a very crowded lot.
But most importantly the guys running the parking lot at Hyannis kept the mood light. They looked like they were having fun. They joked with each other and with the sailors. Nobody there got angry. Nobody got called a Parking Lot Nazi. Think about it. Please.
Thanks for giving up your free time to help run this regatta for us. I know you would probably rather have been out on the water instead of dealing on the land with a couple of hundred unruly teenagers and a few cranky old geezers like me. Hope the feedback is helpful and that things will go more smoothly next time your yacht club hosts this regatta. See you in a couple of years.
I know you had a tough job this weekend, trying to coordinate the movements of 250 Laser, Laser Radial and Vanguard-15 sailors and their boats and their trailers and their cars in a field that was perhaps just a tad too small for the job. The chaos on the first morning of the regatta probably wasn't entirely your fault, unless you were also responsible for planning the parking arrangements. So I hope you are thinking, like I am, about what could have been done differently.
Sailors come to this regatta because of its reputation for reliable strong winds and excellent race management on the water. But the land-side logistics can affect our enjoyment of the event too and, frankly, this aspect of the event fell way short of the mark. I hear that some people won't come to this regatta any more because they are not made to feel welcome. I'll probably be back, but only because I have faith that your yacht club can learn from their mistakes. And management of this launch and parking area last weekend was a monumental screw-up of the first order.
At first everything went smoothly. I dropped off my boat and trailer at the launch site a couple of days before the regatta after going over there to practice. My friends assured me that in previous years all the boats and cars and trailers could fit in this field so everything seemed hunky-dory.
On Friday morning too it looked at first as if things were under control. There were signs indicating which end of the field cars should be parked. Everyone obeyed the signs and slowly the field filled up. Apart from those signs, you seemed to be letting the sailors decide for themselves where to park their boats, trailers and cars. I wonder if there had been any discussion in the planning meetings about the capacity of this field and perhaps the need to park the cars in orderly tight rows to maximize use of space? Had anyone thought to suggest parking boat trailers at one of the remote parking lots to create more space for boats and cars?
Boats were being rigged. Sailors were getting dressed for the water. More and more boats and trailers and cars were arriving. Then at 9am, about half an hour before we were due to launch, the crisis hit. The field was full. Cars and trailers were backing up down the entrance road. Tempers were getting frayed. The latecomers could see that they would miss the start. There was nowhere to put all the boats and cars. Total mess. Didn't you see it coming before then?
Let's be charitable. I won't say you lost it. I will say you made an executive decision. You marched over to the young man who had the car parked furthest from the entrance, and told him brusquely to move his car to the other lot a couple of miles away and to catch a shuttle bus back. Actually you were very brusque.
He didn't take it well. Partly it was in your manner. Partly it was because he didn't understand why you were singling him out to move when he had been one of the first to arrive and park his car in a good position close to his boat. You didn't really explain that you were trying to empty the whole lot of cars. In any case, it seemed unlikely that all those cars could be moved and all those people bussed back here in under thirty minutes.
His response was also partly because we Laser sailors like to have our cars and all our clothes and tools and spare gear close at hand. It makes us feel secure. He got angry. He argued. He can't help it. It's genetic. His father likes to argue. His grandfather liked to argue. I apologize for my genes.
He stormed off. You stormed off. You tackled him again and fiercely insisted that he move his car. Eventually he did. You had similar confrontations with other sailors. Tempers flared. Little knots of sailors formed and vented about the situation and your attitude. Nobody wanted to be forced to drive to some other location and perhaps get back here too late to catch the first race. Harsh words about you and your yacht club's ability to run a regatta were exchanged.
I was trying to keep out of your way. I sat quietly to one side with the guy who is probably the oldest active Laser sailor on the planet. At least you had a bit more tact when you approached us and asked us to move our cars off site too. You did address us as, "You gentlemen." I hope you noticed I returned the compliment by calling you, "Sir".
The host yacht club and its volunteers should treat sailors like they are welcome and with some respect. We sailors should also treat you with respect. After all you are a volunteer trying to do a difficult job. So on behalf of all the sailors I apologize for the guy who called you a Parking Lot Nazi. That was uncalled for.
Some of us moved our cars begrudgingly. We caught a bus back to the launch area which was still in confusion. One of the regatta officials said he had heard that our first warning signal would be postponed because of the parking chaos. Another official vainly attempted to phone the yacht club to obtain confirmation. More confusion. Some boats had already set sail for the Laser circle a couple of miles away so eventually we all launched.
The second day you had some signs at the entrance saying that that no cars were allowed in the field. So we parked in the off-site lot and came to the launch area by bus. There was plenty of empty space in the field. We wondered why you didn't allow at least the early birds to park there.
By the third day, most sailors had worked out that we could park our cars on the road outside the field and wouldn't get ticketed by the famously officious local police. There were dozens of cars parked both sides of the narrow lane blocking part of the road. Did you think that was a better solution than allowing at least some cars to park in an orderly fashion in the field? Apparently not.
Did you reconsider when you heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights come down the road? As several police cars and fire trucks barrelled at high speed towards us could you see any problem? When the fire trucks were stopped by cars going in the opposite direction in between the two lines of parked regatta cars, did you wonder if someone in authority might question who had caused this road to be blocked to emergency vehicles? I hope the house didn't burn down before they arrived.
You did try and take some preemptive steps to avoid more chaos after the regatta was over. Telling all the sailors not to bring their cars into the lot until we were ready to hitch up our trailers and leave was probably a good idea. Thanks for thinking ahead. You didn't exactly do it in a diplomatic way though. Starting the conversation with, "Don't even think about bringing your car through the gate...." and threatening to abandon us altogether may not have been the best way to motivate us to cooperate.
But back to the first day. Don't you think it would have been better to head off the first morning's confusion by better planning? Perhaps we should have been told beforehand that we had to park cars at the other site? Or perhaps all trailers should have been put in that other lot? Or perhaps some better organization of parking would have used the space more effectively?
Can I suggest that before your yacht club hosts this regatta again you have a chat with the folks at Hyannis Yacht Club. At their regatta the previous weekend they had a similar issue: how to fit all the boats, trailers and cars into a small space. But they had a plan. They had plenty of cheerful guys in fluorescent yellow T-shirts directing traffic and parking cars tightly. They had a separate area to store trailers. They had planned it out properly and communicated clearly and so there was little stress in what was also a very crowded lot.
But most importantly the guys running the parking lot at Hyannis kept the mood light. They looked like they were having fun. They joked with each other and with the sailors. Nobody there got angry. Nobody got called a Parking Lot Nazi. Think about it. Please.
Thanks for giving up your free time to help run this regatta for us. I know you would probably rather have been out on the water instead of dealing on the land with a couple of hundred unruly teenagers and a few cranky old geezers like me. Hope the feedback is helpful and that things will go more smoothly next time your yacht club hosts this regatta. See you in a couple of years.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Mind Games Revisited
I was asking a few days ago what kind of remarks would be successful in disrupting the concentration or focus of a competitor in a sailboat race. This weekend I discovered the answer: almost anything.
Friday on Buzzards Bay. I beat Litoralis by half a dozen places in the 3-leg windward-leeward-windward first race and life is good. In the second race perhaps I am fading a bit and he, having the advantage of me in age by a few decades and in weight by at least as many pounds, arrives at the first windward mark a few places in front of me.
So I start working the waves downwind like some 17-year-old Radial sailor possessed by demons. Doing my best Ben Ainslie impression, carving turns up and down, pumping on every wave. I'm catching him up and life is still good.
As I surf past him I think of what I should say to him. Don't want to be a smart ass. Needs to be something that sounds positive and encouraging in a fatherly way but there's no harm if it also gives me a little mental edge too. Ha. I've got it.
"You know this is a five leg race, right?" Just passing on information that the race committee changed the course board between races. He might have missed it. Just being a good Dad.
"You know this is a five leg race, right?" Ah, but what if he thought it was still the shorter course we sailed in race one? Maybe he hung it all out on the first beat in an attempt to beat poor old Dad? Maybe he thinks there is only one more beat after this downwind leg? What's it going to do to his head if he finds out that he actually has two more beats and one more run to do? Might be demoralizing perhaps? Could make him concede the lead in our personal tussle? Maybe.
So I say it. "You know this is a five leg race, right?"
His reply sounds something like, "What? WHAT? Wooooaaaaa! Aaaaaarrrghhh! SPLASH! Splutter, splutter, splutter," as he death-rolls his Laser and I carry on down the run a-pumping and a-rocking and a-rolling.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Friday on Buzzards Bay. I beat Litoralis by half a dozen places in the 3-leg windward-leeward-windward first race and life is good. In the second race perhaps I am fading a bit and he, having the advantage of me in age by a few decades and in weight by at least as many pounds, arrives at the first windward mark a few places in front of me.
So I start working the waves downwind like some 17-year-old Radial sailor possessed by demons. Doing my best Ben Ainslie impression, carving turns up and down, pumping on every wave. I'm catching him up and life is still good.
As I surf past him I think of what I should say to him. Don't want to be a smart ass. Needs to be something that sounds positive and encouraging in a fatherly way but there's no harm if it also gives me a little mental edge too. Ha. I've got it.
"You know this is a five leg race, right?" Just passing on information that the race committee changed the course board between races. He might have missed it. Just being a good Dad.
"You know this is a five leg race, right?" Ah, but what if he thought it was still the shorter course we sailed in race one? Maybe he hung it all out on the first beat in an attempt to beat poor old Dad? Maybe he thinks there is only one more beat after this downwind leg? What's it going to do to his head if he finds out that he actually has two more beats and one more run to do? Might be demoralizing perhaps? Could make him concede the lead in our personal tussle? Maybe.
So I say it. "You know this is a five leg race, right?"
His reply sounds something like, "What? WHAT? Wooooaaaaa! Aaaaaarrrghhh! SPLASH! Splutter, splutter, splutter," as he death-rolls his Laser and I carry on down the run a-pumping and a-rocking and a-rolling.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Uncrustables!
Dear Ms Regatta Lunch Snack Organizer,
Thanks for giving up your free time to help run this regatta for us. I appreciate that you are a volunteer and that you are probably not a Laser sailor yourself. I really appreciate that the regatta organizers saw fit to spend some of our entry fees to buy on-the-water lunches for us every day and I want to thank you for volunteering to head up the team buying all the food and packing it in plastic bags for us and then handing it out to us on the water every day.
Having said all that (and I do appreciate you, I really do, and I have been in your shoes and once made a huge mistake in this capacity myself) could I please offer one suggestion...
Smuckers processed peanut butter and grape jelly Uncrustables are not suitable lunch snacks for Laser sailors.
Here are a few reasons...
1. They taste vile.
2. They are intended for little kids, not finely tuned adult athletes like us.
3. They taste vile.
4. They contain way too much fat and way too little carbohydrate to be a satisfactory snack for someone undertaking vigorous physical exercise.
5. They taste vile.
6. They are a processed food made in a factory.
7. They taste vile.
Can I suggest that before your yacht club hosts this regatta again you have a chat with the folks at Brant Beach Yacht Club in New Jersey about how to provide sustenance on the water for Laser sailors. At the Atlantic Coast Laser Championships a couple of years ago they had a large catamaran moored on the direct line between the finish and start lines of the trapezoid course. There were several people positioned on the transom of this catamaran handing out energy bars and fruit and water between every race. That's what we really need. Healthy food that tastes good and provides the fuel we need frequently. Not processed junk kiddie food.
Sorry to be so blunt. I think that's all for now. Thanks for volunteering to provide us with lunch. Hope the feedback is helpful. I appreciate all your efforts. I really do.
Update: I have been asked to point out, for anyone reading this post on or after August 13, that it does not refer to the 2007 Laser US Nationals hosted by Malletts Bay Boat Club, Vermont from August 10-12. The post was originally published on August 6 and even I cannot tell the future.
Thanks for giving up your free time to help run this regatta for us. I appreciate that you are a volunteer and that you are probably not a Laser sailor yourself. I really appreciate that the regatta organizers saw fit to spend some of our entry fees to buy on-the-water lunches for us every day and I want to thank you for volunteering to head up the team buying all the food and packing it in plastic bags for us and then handing it out to us on the water every day.
Having said all that (and I do appreciate you, I really do, and I have been in your shoes and once made a huge mistake in this capacity myself) could I please offer one suggestion...
Smuckers processed peanut butter and grape jelly Uncrustables are not suitable lunch snacks for Laser sailors.
Here are a few reasons...
1. They taste vile.
2. They are intended for little kids, not finely tuned adult athletes like us.
3. They taste vile.
4. They contain way too much fat and way too little carbohydrate to be a satisfactory snack for someone undertaking vigorous physical exercise.
5. They taste vile.
6. They are a processed food made in a factory.
7. They taste vile.
Can I suggest that before your yacht club hosts this regatta again you have a chat with the folks at Brant Beach Yacht Club in New Jersey about how to provide sustenance on the water for Laser sailors. At the Atlantic Coast Laser Championships a couple of years ago they had a large catamaran moored on the direct line between the finish and start lines of the trapezoid course. There were several people positioned on the transom of this catamaran handing out energy bars and fruit and water between every race. That's what we really need. Healthy food that tastes good and provides the fuel we need frequently. Not processed junk kiddie food.
Sorry to be so blunt. I think that's all for now. Thanks for volunteering to provide us with lunch. Hope the feedback is helpful. I appreciate all your efforts. I really do.
Update: I have been asked to point out, for anyone reading this post on or after August 13, that it does not refer to the 2007 Laser US Nationals hosted by Malletts Bay Boat Club, Vermont from August 10-12. The post was originally published on August 6 and even I cannot tell the future.
Buzzards Bay Regatta 2007
Another Monday feeling totally wasted after another three day regatta. This weekend son #1 Litoralis and I sailed Lasers together in the Buzzards Bay Regatta hosted this year by the New Bedford Yacht Club.
The Laser fleet was larger and the competition was much tougher than at the Hyannis Regatta the previous week. And my results reflected it. Friday and Saturday brought champagne sailing conditions with sunshine and a south-westerly that rewarded those who could hike hard and work the waves. I could do the former for a few minutes at a time and the latter not very much at all. Sunday the wind was lighter and from the east initially clocking round to the south. Not as interesting so we bagged the last race in order to beat the expected chaos in the launch area as 120 Laser sailors and a gazillion Vanguard 15 sailors along with assorted Mommies and Daddies and ginormous SUVs all attempted to load boats on to trailers in a space slightly smaller than my back lawn.
The race committee on the Laser circle was superb. Best one I've seen all year. And I told them so. Actually the PRO was a bit too much of a perfectionist for my liking. Did he really have to abandon the first race on Sunday after that big right shift came in half way up the first beat? Of course I knew that shift was coming and was halfway to Martha's Vineyard, banging the right corner for all I was worth, and looking golden. Hey, that's not unfair conditions for racing; that's validation of my impressive weather insights (and ability to check AccuWeather.com before leaving home).
I haven't seen the final results yet but as of Sunday morning I was beating this guy and this guy and this guy so that was all good. That guy was beating me again but what's new?
There were a few bloggable moments that I plan to write about later. But for now I just need to take it easy and let these aching muscles recover.
The Laser fleet was larger and the competition was much tougher than at the Hyannis Regatta the previous week. And my results reflected it. Friday and Saturday brought champagne sailing conditions with sunshine and a south-westerly that rewarded those who could hike hard and work the waves. I could do the former for a few minutes at a time and the latter not very much at all. Sunday the wind was lighter and from the east initially clocking round to the south. Not as interesting so we bagged the last race in order to beat the expected chaos in the launch area as 120 Laser sailors and a gazillion Vanguard 15 sailors along with assorted Mommies and Daddies and ginormous SUVs all attempted to load boats on to trailers in a space slightly smaller than my back lawn.
The race committee on the Laser circle was superb. Best one I've seen all year. And I told them so. Actually the PRO was a bit too much of a perfectionist for my liking. Did he really have to abandon the first race on Sunday after that big right shift came in half way up the first beat? Of course I knew that shift was coming and was halfway to Martha's Vineyard, banging the right corner for all I was worth, and looking golden. Hey, that's not unfair conditions for racing; that's validation of my impressive weather insights (and ability to check AccuWeather.com before leaving home).
I haven't seen the final results yet but as of Sunday morning I was beating this guy and this guy and this guy so that was all good. That guy was beating me again but what's new?
There were a few bloggable moments that I plan to write about later. But for now I just need to take it easy and let these aching muscles recover.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Trick Play
Talking of mind games, one step further (perhaps one step too far) in the mental game of outwitting your opponents is the trick play. By this I mean a move that for a while tricks the opposition into thinking that something is happening which is totally different from what is really happening.
Take for example the "wrong ball play" as shown in this video.
Deceptive? Yes.
Successful? Yes
Unsportsmanlike? Maybe.
My question for you today, is whether some deceptive move along these lines is even possible in sailboat racing. The nearest I can think of is the fake tack when another boat is covering you. But a move in which the opposition essentially stops playing because they think the game is suspended or over, freeing you to make a huge gain against them? It's hard to imagine. My general recall fiasco (shouting, "General Recall!" just after the start when the RC hasn't signalled one) may be similar, but that was a mistake, not a deliberately deceptive play. Although it could be done with malicious intent. Hmmm. Should I?
And my other question is: If someone in sailing pulled a move as audacious as "wrong ball coach" would they be successfully protested under Rule 2... A boat shall compete in compliance with recognized principle of sportsmanship and fair play?
Take for example the "wrong ball play" as shown in this video.
Deceptive? Yes.
Successful? Yes
Unsportsmanlike? Maybe.
My question for you today, is whether some deceptive move along these lines is even possible in sailboat racing. The nearest I can think of is the fake tack when another boat is covering you. But a move in which the opposition essentially stops playing because they think the game is suspended or over, freeing you to make a huge gain against them? It's hard to imagine. My general recall fiasco (shouting, "General Recall!" just after the start when the RC hasn't signalled one) may be similar, but that was a mistake, not a deliberately deceptive play. Although it could be done with malicious intent. Hmmm. Should I?
And my other question is: If someone in sailing pulled a move as audacious as "wrong ball coach" would they be successfully protested under Rule 2... A boat shall compete in compliance with recognized principle of sportsmanship and fair play?
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Mind Games
Psych-out: the act of undermining someone's confidence by psychological means.
In a comment on yesterday's post Stephen pointed out that one reason another sailor might be complimenting me on my sailing was that he was trying to un-nerve or upset me in order to put me off my game. Hmmm. I guess that could be true, but I don't think so in this case. Laser sailors are way too genteel and respectful to play games like that. Yeah, right.
But it does raise the question of what kind of remarks would be successful in disrupting the concentration or focus of a competitor, or disturbing their natural free-flowing excellent performance. I remember one incident this year where one of the guys close to me in the fleet shouted something to me on the start line about 30 seconds before the start. I didn't even hear what he said so I naturally asked him to repeat it (I know... stupid move) by which time I'd lost my concentration on the start sequence and totally blew the start.
And as Stephen points out, getting a fellow competitor to think too hard about something he or she is doing well naturally is almost guaranteed to succeed in disrupting their game.
So please tell me. Do you have any choice remarks that are successful in psyching out your competition? Or have you been the victim of psychological mind games like this yourself?
In a comment on yesterday's post Stephen pointed out that one reason another sailor might be complimenting me on my sailing was that he was trying to un-nerve or upset me in order to put me off my game. Hmmm. I guess that could be true, but I don't think so in this case. Laser sailors are way too genteel and respectful to play games like that. Yeah, right.
But it does raise the question of what kind of remarks would be successful in disrupting the concentration or focus of a competitor, or disturbing their natural free-flowing excellent performance. I remember one incident this year where one of the guys close to me in the fleet shouted something to me on the start line about 30 seconds before the start. I didn't even hear what he said so I naturally asked him to repeat it (I know... stupid move) by which time I'd lost my concentration on the start sequence and totally blew the start.
And as Stephen points out, getting a fellow competitor to think too hard about something he or she is doing well naturally is almost guaranteed to succeed in disrupting their game.
So please tell me. Do you have any choice remarks that are successful in psyching out your competition? Or have you been the victim of psychological mind games like this yourself?
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
I Am That Guy
A few days ago I wrote about my unhealthy focus on trying to beat one other sailor and asked whether other sailors suffered from the same mental disorder. I never expected to find the answer to my question so close to home...
At the Newport Regatta a few weeks ago one of the other sailors, someone I hadn't met before, complimented me on how well I was sailing and told me that I had improved since last year. Hmmm, that's cool I thought. Good guy. On the long sail back to the club after the first day of the Hyannis Regatta last weekend he did the same, and then started asking me what my actual finishes were. Then the next morning he wanted to know what my overall position was for the day. This carried on all weekend. Every time I met this fellow on the water or on the land he was always asking, "Where did you finish up in that race?" or "How did you do today?"
By the end of the regatta and after spending more time with him I worked out what was going on. He had been measuring his progress against mine since last year. Watching me (mainly from behind) and trying to catch me in every race.
Ohmigod! You know what this means. I am that guy!
At the Newport Regatta a few weeks ago one of the other sailors, someone I hadn't met before, complimented me on how well I was sailing and told me that I had improved since last year. Hmmm, that's cool I thought. Good guy. On the long sail back to the club after the first day of the Hyannis Regatta last weekend he did the same, and then started asking me what my actual finishes were. Then the next morning he wanted to know what my overall position was for the day. This carried on all weekend. Every time I met this fellow on the water or on the land he was always asking, "Where did you finish up in that race?" or "How did you do today?"
By the end of the regatta and after spending more time with him I worked out what was going on. He had been measuring his progress against mine since last year. Watching me (mainly from behind) and trying to catch me in every race.
Ohmigod! You know what this means. I am that guy!
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