For those of you who don't know, Luther is an Olympic coach who lives in
Houston.
B
Sail Like a Veteran Today
Strategy by Luther Carpenter
I remember being a young, hungry, youth sailor. I had flashy roll tacks,
the ability to steer perfectly; I could get off the starting line, and had
my parent’s VISA card! I could do anything!
But as I started traveling around the world, I quickly learned that desire
and raw talent were not enough to win major regattas. There were these
OTHER guys….a few years older, a bit more serious, and ALWAYS finishing at
the top of the fleet. I quickly realized that they had been out on the
circuit for quite a few years, and had a vast amount of experience over me.
In 1992, I coached at the Barcelona Olympics, and witnessed a great
culmination of youth and experience. Jonathan Mckee, Charlie Mckee, Randy
Smythe, Keith Notary, Mark Reynolds, Paul Forester, Mike Gebhart,
Brian Ledbetter, and Hal Hanael had all been to the Olympics before, and
shared with our first time Olympians what they learned form their first
experience at the Games. It was an awesome combination resulting in 9 out
of 10 Medals.
But what’s so great about experience? What, aside from a suntan, rope
burns, and wetsuit rashes, do you get from logging countless hours on the
race course and competing in decades of championships? And, once you know
what is so important about all this time on the water, how can those
without experience quickly learn the key components of a veteran’s game? I
found myself asking these questions while coaching in Europe this spring,
and assembled a list of veteran techniques, traits, and habits that would
help some of our sailors earn their veteran wings and hopefully some
Olympic medals. This list by no means covers it all, but will provide a
good peek at veteran mentality and execution.
1) Veterans have a top-notch boat, and are meticulous about maintenance.
The centerboard fits perfectly, the lines and purchase systems are of the
best quality and exactly the right length. Key marks are made on the boat
for trim re-production. The rudder/tiller system is tight and the extension
is the right length. Veterans constantly look to improve and refine their
equipment. They study competitor’s ideas and innovative ideas in other
classes.
2) Veterans read the weather forecast. They think about the "big picture"
for the current day, the evening, and the following day. This gives them a
comfortable sense of what to expect, and how to distinguish between
localized effects, and weather system changes.
3) Veterans use the time sailing out to the course to think about the wind
and wave conditions, what technique and setup will be fastest. They compare
the present conditions with the forecast. They set themselves up for a
changing wind scenario so the gear change comes quickly, naturally, and
without hesitation.
4) Veterans assess the starting line length verses size of fleet. Will
there be enough room for everyone to get off the line? How long will you
be able to hold your lane after the start? Having this information clear
in your head before the start enables you to visualize the opening minutes
of the race. Veterans also determine the favored side of the line and
favored side of the course. They think about the length of the beat and how
long they will be spending on each tack. At the SPA regatta this year, the
Europe beats were quite long, so we emphasized getting off the line cleanly
and sailing in clear air without tacking early in the beat, and then
returning to the center of the course later. A long line and long beat made
this a safe tactic.
5) Veterans “beat the fleet" on local knowledge. In the first race of a
series in a normal condition, they are not afraid to use local knowledge.
At this year’s SPA regatta the first day gave us a typical sea breeze,
which we knew would favor the left side. Much of the fleet was hesitant to
commit heavily to the left in the first race, so it was a great time for
our sailors to leverage left and produce a big opening race. You have to
believe in the local knowledge.
6) Veterans know when to go for the big start, and when to back off and
start more conservatively. Veterans track the fleet psyche. Gary Bodie
encouraged his college teams to stay away from the pin end in the opening
race of regattas. He recognized that the fleet’s adrenaline was high at the
beginning of events, and pin end starts were going to be risky. However,
Bodie would coach his team to go for the pin after the lunch break while
the fleet was sleepy and complacent. This is a great example of knowing
your competition and anticipating their thoughts.
7) Veterans look for wind velocity and go after it. They believe in what
they see. Veterans are not afraid to "wing it out" on a side if they need
to make a move, or see something good ahead. Veterans also are the first
ones to recognize and react to a big change.
8) Veterans never sail past the layline. They are always aware of their
location relative to the windward mark. They pass boats that waste time and
distance by overstanding. They may overstand slightly if in a congested
pack, but if they are top five up the beat, they are careful to manage
the layline accurately in their approach to the mark.
9) Veterans have perfect weather mark roundings, and they immediately
execute their downwind game plan. They are not afraid to stray from the
pack for clear air. They have researched the wave angles before the race,
and are the first to catch waves.
10) Veterans demand to pass boats off the wind on every leg. They are never
happy with status quo.
11) Veteran technique is smooth and fluid. They are ultra sensitive to helm
pressure and respond with weight and sail trim.
12) Veterans key on balance first, and then add kinetics. They listen to
what the boat is telling them. Balance is the most important technique
issue to focus on, kinetics enhance the balance with extra power. If your
kinetics are rough or don’t have flow, slow it down and feel the boat.
13) Veterans are very aware of sheet pressure on all sails. Pressure is
everything. A perfectly trimmed sail is the one that is pulling on the
sheet the hardest.
14) Veterans have excellent leeward mark roundings. This rounding is the
gateway to passing boats on the second beat. They keep their head out of
the boat, and focus on execution.
15) Veterans avoid traffic. They know that groups of boats have less wind
then single boats. If you find yourself alone, don’t rush to get back to
the other boats. Let the groups drag each other down.
16) Veterans have good reasons to tack. If they are going fast in clear
air, they keep going unless something changes (windshift, too leveraged,
more wind, tacked on, etc.)
17) Veterans rarely sail upwind in bad air. They tack away before they have
lost distance. Everyone knows bad air makes you loose boatlengths, you
don’t need to prove it.
18) Veterans sail with their head out of the boat as much as possible. They
always know where they are on the course, and where the marks are. They
rarely make a navigational error. Chris Nicholson won three 49er world
championships by being better at watching the wind up the course, while the
rest of the world focused on a more immediate view. He was always a few
steps ahead of the field.
19) Veterans note wind trends during the race, and think about how they
will affect the next legs. A big left shift on the second beat is going to
tighten the top reach on a trapezoid course, and favor reaching on the last
downwind leg. Veterans set up the boat perfectly for these changes, and
open both offwind legs with a gain on those still assessing the leg.
20) After the finish, Veterans drink plenty of water (which they brought
with them), and reflect on the wind, rig changes that may be required, and
get to the starting line so they can relax a bit before the next race.
21) Veterans understand the importance of physical size and fitness. They
sail boats that their body types are suited for. They are excellent at
hiking out and other physical demands, and readily admit and act upon an
area of weakness.
22) Veterans have fun and help others. They know that a healthy learning
environment for all helps them learn more in a time efficient manner.
23) Veterans sail and practice more than their competition in a quality
manner. It’s a simple fact. Time on the water with specific goals =
improvement.
--
Blake Billman
(817) 366-5022 {m}
(512) 472-6852 {o}
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