Nationals Newbie - suggestions?

Jeff,

My experience has been that breakages in this kind of event are somewhat rare. We usually take a little extra time during setup before a week long event like this to make sure every ring and pin are taped in place and that all lines are fresh with no chafing. We have the same spares that we usually have on hand for a weekend event; hot stick, spin pole (if possible), spare rudder blade, spare daggerboard. Backup sails (particularly a spinnaker) are nice if you have them too. With the number of people participating, somebody has a spare for whatever you need.

if you're a real klutz like me, you bring a long a whole second boat so when you've bought the farm the first time, you have a fresh platform on which you can do it again.

Get the boat ready, bring the spare parts and spend as much time on the water as you can. That being said, my feeling about a Nationals is that the mental game is the part that is so hard to prepare for.
You probably haven't raced in a fleet that size and certainly not with the competition you will face.
Know the rules on the start line and at the marks. This will come into play constantly. Try to get a clean start and sail clean. It's a big numbers game. If you feel as though a good finish for you is a 25 then don't tack out of 20th place. Throwing in some 35 or 40's will mess up your position in a hurry.
I have been trying to get this right for a long time and haven't made it through an event yet without posting at least one big number. It ain't easy.
My goal the last two years sailing with my daughter has been to post a number in all the races. We have managed to do that in some tough conditions.
I finished 75th in my first Nationals. Your sure to beat that.
Good luck and have fun.

Good advice. That...and let everyone else make the mistakes - they will.

Good advice all around, thanks. Let me try a somewhat different angle on this - for those of you who remember your first nationals (or North Americans), what would you have done differently?

I'm looking at this as a learning experience, but I'd just as soon not accomplish of the learning

the hard way

, if you get my drift.

I would also add (and this depends on your boat fixing skills)

White gelcoat filler (or appropiate colours) in case of little dinks to hulls and plates
White gelcoat (or appropiate colours), micro ballons, chopped stand, glass tape and glass matt (for bulk filling of bows for more major chunches)
Epoxy
Old (plastic) Ice cream tubs (excellent for making backing plates for more major, short term, non load bearing) repairs.
(if you can store it somewhere dry, some Balsa wood, again excellent for the above).
Files, hacksaws, 200/400/600/800/1200 wet and dry,

thinners

(and I can never remember what they are as I never have them), Knives, Spatulas for applying Gel / gelcoat, stirrers and cups to mix in (Wooden

Coffee

stirrers from well known junk food chain beginning with Mc are ideal, also ask for a job lot of paper cups - don't ask, don't get!)

Most of the above is only really required if you think you have a chance of mending bigger (usually bow shaped) holes in the side of boats. I would be very wary of reparing anything that is

load bearing

.

Best advise?

Sail clean. Stay out of questionable situations. If you are in doubt, take the mark wide, tack away, give way.

Definitely take some duct tape and keep it in the boat somewhere. I lost a national title in the warm-up before the last race when I was 'T'-boned by another boat. My boat was holed just above the waterline and started taking in water on one tack so I had to abandon. A roll of duct tape would have kept me in the race.

Excellent idea.

The handyman's secret weapon

has a multitude of uses in a sticky situation.

My advice for while you're racing (not what to pack etc) is:

As a mid fleeter (like me) you need to be very conscious of clean wind, particularly coming out of the bottom mark. There is always a temptation to sheet on and follow everyone out to the right hand side of the course and suck their shitty wind all the way to the lay line. If the right hand side is favoured and if you don't come out of the mark higher than the boats in front you consider a couple of quick tacks ie get to speed tack, get to speed tack. This should mean you'll have clean air all the way to the lay line and in a big fleet it can allow you to pass a lot of boats.

So I guess my pre regatta advice is to practice bottom mark roundings and sort out your [censored] so you can hit the pin (not physically) every time and come out high and fast.

Got to agree with the duct tape, when I first started sailing nearly 20 years ago now, all we had in our toolbox were a couple of shackles, a couple of 1/4 bolts, a few screws and a roll of grey duct tape, got us on the water more times than I can remember.

Matt

Forgot to add:

Ducttape as above, Spare rope(s) in case you shred one (or it gets shredded by a rescue boat if you tip it in)
Grease proof paper (for simple gel fixes - makes a nice smooth surface that may not need any sanding if in a hurry)
Drill (cordles with 2 batteries at least)
Drills
Gas powered Hair dryer (it's not warm in the UK, sometimes <img src=

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Spare blocks if you have them

Good suggestions by all. I'm helping with the planning for the Nationals. The best advice I can give is to get your entry fee in to reserve a cabin or RV spot as they are filling fast.

Try to look at it as a learning experience. One of the biggest reasons I enjoy a Nationals is because I get a lot of racing/sailing in. Typically I'll race more in a Nationals than I race all year in regattas. This really helps improve your skills quickly.

Try to set a reasonable goal for the regatta. A goal could be midfleet. It could be top 10. Or it could be not DFL. <img src=

alt=

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Above all come for the fun and comraderie of meeting a bunch of fellow sailors from around the country.

We are starting to get registrations in daily now!!!

Register Here:
http://northamericans.naf18.com/

Mike Hill