Even if no other sailor is around you and rules don't really come up. Sailing the bouy's (more when we had a B mark) teaches you how to trim the boat to get around the course. Yes practice does a lot too. BUT in my 30 years of sailing, most recreational sailors in my area would just reach out and reach back. If they had a wind shift while out a ways, some had a hard time getting back in. Racing is not for everyone, but doing windward-leewards and learning to deal with windshifts, holes and how land effects the wind, in my opinion DOES make you a better sailor.
Doug
Doug,
You should become a sailing instructor.
lee:
Just a true statement. How many times at the Dike have you seen guys just sail straight out then turn back around and come in? BUT when we sailed down by Curl's and the wind started dieing and shifting they had a REAL hard time getting back in.
Doug
Windyhillf20
If racing is about being the fastest would you sign up for a race that had your boat at a disadvantage. Lets say over time, it had been determined that a crew weight of 160lbs made your type of boat fly and all the races were won with 2 14yr olds on it. Wouldnt you want some sort of equalizer? Say minimum weight so everybody has a chance.
Thats why I say racing is rarely about who is fastest. We have to make adjustments to the rules, equipment ect. to make it
fair
. This is where the griping starts.
Doug,
As a windsurfer, I can tell you the Hobies point so much better than windsurf gear. Boats arent as fast but they go uphill much better.
One reason that I like my lake is that is primarily a N/S wind with long 5 mile E/W reaches. I can point but really do like blasting. Same with the windsurfer.
Most classes have a minimum crew weight requirement.
Also, if you don't think racing is all about the best sailor winning then I don't know what to tell you. I think Nigel could be sailing an Opti and still beat me around the cans.
Speed is a factor and so is weight. But i have been at both sides of the coin. On the 14 Turbo, light guys use to kick my butt; but then on the H-16 being on the heavy side really helped when the wind piped up. Is it not always the quickest speed wise (per se). How you read the wind, being on the right side of the course, choosing the right tack, seeing and reading shift on the water. There are a lot of factors that come in to play and time on the water is a big factor. Through racing you can learn from the other boats and better sailors, see how and why they are going faster. It is not whether I won are lost always, I just think in the long run it made me a better sailor.
Doug
It's all, and always, about learning. Take away everything you can from every event. Learn the physics, understand the wind, observe the angles, and know your competition. Above all, focus on your mistakes and shortcomings until you truly understand them and immediately start scheming to overcome them next time.
The really good sailors do this from leg to leg. The mediocre guys do this race to race. The average sailors do this from regatta to regatta. The more you can refine the speed and cycle of this process the faster you learn, the smaller the mistakes, and the better the result.
The really good sailors do this from leg to leg. The mediocre guys do this race to race. The average sailors do this from regatta to regatta. The more you can refine the speed and cycle of this process the faster you learn, the smaller the mistakes, and the better the result.
+1 Awesome Take Jake!!!! /)/)/)~~~~~/)/)~~~/)
I knew it from the onset that this thread was going to be perceived like this, especially by the non-racers and noobs amongst us. A ton of people lurk here.
Threads like this are the exact opposite of what it takes to get more people on the water. We should be more careful, this is pretty bad PR for our sport. Especially when the first post is so sensationalized and obviously packed with meta-messages and does not represent Rick's editorial, which I felt was very respectfully written. I'm not exactly sure what the original poster's motivation was. Obviously it wasn't to paint our sport in a good light.
How many other guys do you figure won't be racing at all because of this thread? Time to put in some more effort to combat the 'friendly fire' I rekon. <img src="<>/confused.gif" alt="confused" title="confused" height="15" width="15" />
J
Originally Posted By: Mugrace72
There are others, but we are all made to feel unwelcome...not worthy...etc. That is more why they don't come out than the fear of getting trounced.
Okay, I think that brings up the most fundamental point about attendance at regattas. Why, specifically, are you (or more generally, boats not at the pointy end of the standings) made to feel 'unwelcome, not worthy, etc.'?
The quotes above were extracted from another thread and I felt this subject needed its own post.
Jack, please provide more detail into how folks are made to feel unwelcome, I'm assuming this applies more to the open fleet rather than the others.
_________________________
David Ingram
F18 #672
http://www.naf18.com
Do or do not. There is no try.
- Yoda
So, while we may choose to sing kumbaya ...
Non racers have issues with racers.... Every now and then... one of them bubbles up and declares the emperor has no clothes and wants no parts of the scene.
Just dismiss or ignore these shortsighted people... They have no reason to feel unwelcome.
So... Carry on... all is well. We are doing a spectacular job of running regattas and growing the sport of sailboat racing.
Wooooo!!!
Thank goodness ,
I was getting worried for a minute there.
p.s. Why would a non-racer be at a regatta(series of races)?