It's an "in-joke", of course; if you really want to race a dinghy then you have to be physically and mentally strong, as well as having the skills to manage both the power and the subtlety of an ever-changing combination of wind and water conditions.
So you have to be constantly focused, to pick up those minute changes in wind direction and power that can make just a half-a-boat-length difference. And that's before you factor in the effect of rival boats.
The enormity and complexity of Dinghy Racing was really driven home to me yesterday.
I had asked Roger Walton - the top WHSC Racing Instructor - to crew for me and highlight some areas of improvement for me. There are many.
Technically, I use too much rudder to turn the boat (I should heel the boat so that the hull shape causes it to change direction), have an annoying habit of "heading up" when I am meant to be sailing downwind, don't concentrate enough, don't react quickly enough, need to sit out more, heel the boat to windward more etc. etc. the list seemed endless.
Roger's comments were exactly what I needed to hear. I have a huge amount to absorb & learn.
The challenge now is to apply them, and see the improvement.
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