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On The Bookshelf By William Wallick Sail, Race and Win by Eric Twiname Sail, Race and Win is one of the best books I have read on competitive sailing. The premise of the book is quite simple, "...if your racing is not as good as you would like and improving only slowly, or not at all, it is because you are failing not so much as a sailor but as a sailing coach." A lot of books would then follow this up with some vague generalities about what to do or how to prepare, but Twiname comes through with the specifics of how to develop and implement a self coaching plan. Although I think everyone would benefit from this book, he points out that those who are consistently winning their races have already taught themselves how to win. For those of us who are still muddling about, picking up a skill here, a boat tuning tip there, and finishing somewhere in mid-fleet, Twiname shows us how to start systematically putting a coaching plan together. "What you need to push your improvement along is a plan of attack - a system that will enable you to work step by manageable step through the problems that must be overcome when learning to win races." "You must teach yourself to win." "No one taught Elvstrom to win except Elvstrom himself." Although coaching is more common today than in Twinames’s day, it is a luxury usually reserved for the top level competitors. Coaching for us serious/amateur/recreational racers is virtually nonexistent. The closest we usually come to coaching is hobnobbing with the top finishers for the occasional tip. So if you’ve been hobnobbing but not moving up in the standings you should take a long look at Twiname’s approach. Simply put, we must perform the dual duties of being both racer and coach. "If you are to do a good job of teaching yourself you should begin by understanding the role you must play in this game of self-teaching, since the job of coach is different from that of sailor." "...it will work, just so long as the coaching-self makes a good job of the initial assessment, works out how to teach the sailing-self what it needs to know, and then oversees the whole learning process so that the sailing-self really does get the message." And the rest of the book details exactly how to go about developing your coaching plan. How do you know what to work on? "One of the biggest difficulties facing potentially successful sailors is to recognize their own weaknesses. They may think they know the ways in which they could most usefully improve, but they are usually wrong - which is why effort given to improving results may have little or no effect on performance, however hard a sailor tries." The author guides you through how to select the skills you need to improve and then has you put on the "coaches hat" and shows you how to apply twelve "learning methods" (i.e., approaches or avenues) to develop each particular skill. This is meat and potatoes stuff, and is replete with stories of top level sailors. Chapter 7, "Survival Racing" was a particular favorite of mine and a "must read." Although not catamaran specific, it will definitely be of interest to all who like to venture out in "heavy weather." Chapter 8 contains a wealth of recommended reading to further your sailing knowledge. Paired practice is discussed, as is physical and mental fitness. Chapter 15, "Psychological Barriers to Winning" and Chapter 16, "Making the Least of Crises" are again "must reads." Cathy Foster, who has revised Twiname’s original text of 1982 for this second edition, contributes chapters 18 and 19 on "Teamwork" and "Troubleshooting for Teams." "Preparing for Major Combat" concludes the book with some general do’s and don’ts for putting yourself into the right frame of mind prior to the race. I can’t believe how many times I passed over this unassuming little book at the bookstores. Reasonably priced at only $17.50 it is loaded with valuable information. I recommend this book to everyone except those I race against in my fleet! William Wallick wallick@concentric.net Sail, Race and Win by Eric Twiname is published by Sheridan House. Second Edition 1993. Price: $17.50; Paperback: Available from major bookstores everywhere or contact Sheridan House Inc., 145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 10522. Back to Features |