Keep working to improve

The sports psychologists talk about "marginal gains"; those small subtle changes and improvements that combine to give the difference between winning and loosing.

These days, it's my aim to try to systematically find these and apply them.

One of these aspects came to mind very forcefully a weekend ago. The club organised one of those occasional "fun" type events - a race for GP14 and other two-man dinghies, but with the added twist that only one person was in each boat. What that meant, in practice, was that I was on one occasion holding the tiller extension, Main sheet and Genoa sheet all in the same hand, whilst I had to adjust some other controls on the boat.

A single handed race is always good fun, whether or not you do try launching the spinnaker as well; I didn't, because it was a northerly wind (at least, that is my excuse!). But, for me, the real value was what it taught me about the boat. 

Everyone who races knows that the rudder is just a "brake", to be used with care, and that the boat sails best when flat. For the single-handed race, I had hooked a bungee onto the tiller extension. This mean that I could drop the tiller in order to sail single-handed. But the other effect was that I felt a strong pressure whenever I tried to apply the "brake". It was really striking how much I must have tried to slow down the boat. Lesson one: don't use the rudder too much.

The other aspect that was highlighted to me was how much the boat flies better when it is absolutely flat. During the single handed race, I was the only person on the boat, so the "feedback" was just from the boat itself. It's amazing how much more sensitive you can become if it is just you and the dinghy. Lesson two: keep the boat really flat.

It's great to learn these lessons, but the trick is to put it into practice. We have had a number of "good" races recently :- although the results do not always suggest that. For example, last Saturday, after a really bad start we were at the back of the fleet, and gradually began to pull up to the tail-enders, just by keeping the boat really flat.

So I have learnt a lot, and am looking forward to the next race. Watch this space...

I want to Start To Win

Have you ever noticed how the real experts (in whatever field of expertise you are interested in) always make winning look easy?

It's true for businessmen, craftsmen, and for sportsmen, including dinghy racers. I've been watching videos recently of top dinghy sailers. I've also been keeping me eyes on the really good sailers at the front of our club fleet; they all make it look easy. Myself, I'm still habitually at the back of the fleet, and looking for that secret ingredient to help me win. 

I can't claim to have the secret (I'll tell you  when I do...), but I do know that a combination of things will help. Some of these involve "on the water" behaviours (keeping the boat flat, roll tacking etc.) and some of these involve "off the water" preparation (fitness, tactical planning, priority setting etc.). Amoung the latter, I've been re-reading "Start to Win", by Eric Twinham.

There seems to be two elements at least that are key to winning, and neither have got anything to do with how you sail the boat.

The first seems to be attitude, and focus. I must admit that this is probably the area where I am weakest. Unlike many people, I find it really tricky to keep razor-sharp focus on my sailing. That almost trance-like state where you just know what to do next, and everything is a fluid dream.... I have known a few races like that, but not many. I find a similar challenge with my gym sessions - there is a degree of ruthless focus that is needed, to help implement that extra edge.

Of course,  it is no good being focused if you don't actually know what to do - that the tack into clear air is the correct choice. But, on the other hand, I often feel that I know how to race in theory, but struggle to put it into practice. I have some techniques that I want to employ to help build and maintain focus.

The second point that Eric raises is the importance of having a critical attitude. This means having the willingness to objectively understand what you are doing wrong, without "excusing" your mistakes.

A case in point occurred last Tuesday. The wind was fresh, and Maciej had agreed to crew for me. The wind was westerly. We had recognised that the left hand side of the course was stronger, so started left and hugged that southern shore. That way, we were first to the windward mark and led for the first lap. However, on the second lap, we were overtaken. Why?

It would be simplistic to say that we were overtaken by better sailors (which was clearly the case), but my challenge is to understand what made them better. Was it that they had spotted that the wind strength had changed to the middle of the course? Was it more efficient tacking? Was it a more responsive approach to wind shifts on the beat and the run?

My aim is to find out the answers to these questions.

For the record, we ended up in second place, behind Roger Walton and Norman Smith. A successful result, so of course I am very pleased.

But the challenge is, "can I do better?" If I can develop my ability to focus, and my willingness to take a critical attitude, then maybe the answer is "yes".

Watch this blog to find out what happens in future....

Two Opens - two finishes

It's been a while since the last blog. Those of you who know me well will realise that "no news" is typically an indication of "not good news". It has been an interesting time, although I fear that the results are not particularly impressive.

At Leigh on Sea on 7 May, Gerry & I had the first occasion when 13941 was being towed by our brand new Toyota Auris. Unfortunately, there were ongoing problems with the tow bar number plate / light unit. In the end, this was traced down to a poor connection in the extension socket - we needed an extension cable a while ago since the original light unit cable was too short. The net result was that we arrived at Leigh on Sea half an hour later than we had hoped.

Leigh on Sea, near Southend-on-Sea, an interesting place - the tide seems to be miles out of the shore before rushing in over the shallow sand at high tide.  

Gerry did a great job. At the start of the first race we had a problem with our spinnaker halyard, which left us without any spinnaker for the first race. Despite this, we kept in touch with the back of the fleet. 

At the end of the first race, we got some help from the safety boat to retrieve the spinnaker halyard and re-rig. We completed this before the 5 minute gun, so were able to join in race 2. 

During race 2, we discovered that the spinnaker guy was rigged behind the forestay - another fault on my part, and another distraction preventing us focusing on the race. 

The third race was our best (i.e., we had one other boat behind us), but it was strong conditions, and we did not quite get in the groove.

All in all, it was one of those days when the helm (me!)  was not paying enough attention. Speaking a few weeks later to my friend Lesley, she said she found it difficult to judge which side of the course was the favourable one. I agreed - I had been following her at the time !

All good experience. Gerry did well, but was let down by circumstances, plus my lack of focus.

The following weekend (14th and 15th May), we were again towing into Essex - this time to the Southern Championships at Stone.  This time, Kevin Laitak had agreed to crew for me. This was the first time that he had crewed in an event outside the Welsh Harp, and he acquitted himself very well.

Bearing in mind the importance of this event, I did my homework this time. The tide was expected to be strong, and my analysis of the wind & tide gave me some ideas before we even started out. I also had the privilege of chatting with Mark Wolf, who has sailed in GP14 Nationals and Worlds events. Mark advised me to set my boat up for speed, rather than just height. He had loads of other advice as well, all of which proved helpful, and gave me confidence. 

The first day involved a very long reach from Stone Sailing Club out to the Blackwater sailing area. 13941 was last to the racing area, because I had to run back and get the Cunningham rope from the car at the last minute - don't rush when trying to rig the boat!  The race officer did not have to delay the race for us, so thanks for his/her kindness in the circumstances. 

Race conditions were force 4, gusting 5, so we needed to keep on our toes. The anti-clockwise triangle-sausage course was the largest Kevin had ever raced on. For the first race, we went left to compensate for the ebbing tide. The second race was at low tide, and the third race needed us to go right as the tide came in. 

All-in-all, we seemed to lack boat speed  - maybe some sharper tacking next time would help - and were at the back of the fleet.  But we were satisfied that out tactics were broadly correct. 

The last race was a bit disappointing; we had a rapid spinnaker drop on the second leg, and got pushed over by a gust. We lost the burgee when the boat turned turtle. I was able to right the boat, but the spinnaker caught in the shrouds and could not be freed. It reminded me of the time in Brixham when we broached near the end of the race. Unfortunately, on this occasion, we had over a lap to go (not just a few yards), so we had no choice but to call in the safety boat and retire. Two race results in the bag. Put down to experience. 

The following day, the weather was very calm, and there was a risk that we would not sail at all. 

In the end, the race officers were able to put together a right-handed triangle-sausage near to the Stone club, so we were able to get in 2 races. In each case, we assessed the tide impact, and were able to keep up with the fleet. Kevin's spinnaker work improved immensely over the weekend. The last race saw us bail out from a bad start, then go up the right hand side of the course, to end up mid-fleet at the first mark. Then on the downwind sausage we had a bit of fun luffing up the GP14 president (well, you have to, don't you.......?? )

But there were mistakes on my part, which meant we were behind everyone at the finish. 

So I had two tiring weekends, ending up at the back of the fleet. It's all very well having good tactics, but without good overall boat speed, you are still at the back.

All in all, I hope I have learnt something. 

I need to get my confidence back. 

So back into the gym, and more time on the water...

Spring Season begins - more work to do

For us, this weekend was the start of the GP14 Open Series, which always starts with the running of the Venetian Trophy at the Welsh Harp.

I think the results were a bit disappointing. Gerry did a great job, particularly with his spinnaker handling, and we had some flashes of excitement, but in the end we were near the bottom of the fleet.

The important thing to remember, for me, is to focus on the process of sailing, and learn from every outing, no matter how good or bad the result is.

We had a reasonable start on the first race, but gradually slid back at each lap. My personal consolation was that at least I beat my friend David Innes - a rare occurrence.

After lunch, feeling more encouraged, we had a very good start at the second race, and were able to keep near "mid fleet", with some good spinnaker work, but ended up 22nd out of 25 boats.

The third race was a very embarrassing start - we managed to ground the centre-board and were stuck (literally) and got off the line significantly later than anyone else. Unfortunately, we were not able to catch up very much. So we ended up near the back again.

Gerry was probably more alert than I was during the races - he called out changes in wind conditions.
I was the one that was not paying enough attention.

Lessons to bear in mind:

• ensure you get a good nights sleep the night before!
• go through the motivational log before sailing each time.
• mentally and physically "warm up", so that you can pay attention and focus during the duration of the race.
• Keep your head out of the boat, and look for wind conditions. 

Have I learnt anything? I think so - here's looking forward to the next race.

First "A" First in Club Racing

GP14 no 13941 returned from the repair yard in style last Saturday (19 March 2016) by winning the first race at the Welsh Harp Sailing Club. 

I hadn't helmed in a "A" race since the unfortunate accident in February, which meant a trip to Ben Dingwall to repair a significant hole in the bow.  As well as damaging the boat, the incident hit my confidence hard.  

When I did feel able to get back in the water, my good friend Lesley Kaye let me crew for her. But 19th was the day to re-rig my own boat and take the helm myself. 

I had been contacted by Sophie Blanchard, who is rapidly gaining a reputation as a winning crew, having taken the front seat in a number of boats who have crossed the finishing line first. So I was honoured when she asked if she could crew for me, although we had not sailed together beforehand. 

The conditions were ideal for me: 11 to 15 knots, so good hyking conditions without being too physical. The wind was Easterly, and I had previously been told by Roger Walton that the advantageous side of the course would be the Southern shore. So that formed the basis of our strategy. I also sailed the boat a lot "looser" than previously (less kicker, out haul or Cunningham). And I knew that the two of us could coordinate some good roll-tacks. 

We had a reasonable start (maybe fifth across the line) and chased after Steve Cooper and others. Mindful of the advice, we stayed on the right side of the course longer than most, and were among the first three at the windward mark. Continuing to apply the same tactics, we were in the lead by the end of the first lap, and were able to grow the gap during the next few legs.  

The challenge for me in these circumstances is a tendency to panic and lose concentration. Sophie was reminding me to "breathe" and help retain focus. 

The third lap saw Andy Wadsworth catch up and overtake us during a poor mark rounding. We fought back, and were just ahead until the final mark, when a decision to tack opened up a window for Andy to beat us to the finish line. 

It was a tense few moments as we inched the boat ahead and just crossed the line first. 

It was the first time I had won an "A" race. I admit responsibility for the high pitched yell that was probably heard throughout the Welsh Harp! 

Sophie took over the helm for her race. Her objective was to gain another "first", so that she could seal the "B" series, which only had a couple more races.  To be honest, I was not fully focused, so we ended up 4th or 5th. Not bad, but a bit disappointing for her as far as the series is concerned. 

Nevertheless, Sophie has reinforced her reputation as the "winning crew". 

And I took the family out to celebrate that evening. 

Very encouraged, and a very big thank you to Sophie as the crew. 

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Boat specs:

Manufacture: SpeedSails GRP

Sails: P&B Mylar 

Tension: 400lbs

Mast rake: 21'9.5"

Psychology for getting back on the water

It has been a frustrating time during the last few weeks, as I was off sick. Then, when I did return,  I was involved in an accident that affected by confidence - not to mention getting significant repairs done to 13941.

It was discouraging, but I need to get back on the water, and start focusing on racing again.

The time off has given me a chance to catch up with conversations I had last year with a very impressive Sports Psychologist called Gary Leboff. Building upon his record with Premiership footballers and top-level golfers, Gary has adapted sports-related strategies to the demands of corporate team building and motivation.

Steeped in the ethos of champions, Gary has worked in football, tennis, rugby union and golf. I must say that his approach to coaching and the training environment is refreshing, accessible and user friendly.

So it was a pleasure to meet with him last year, and gain insight into his psychology for winning dinghy races.

I don't want to give away any secrets, but there was one piece of advice that he gave me which proved successful in the National Championships last year.

His advice was too focus on the PROCESS, not the OUTCOME. Personally, I am always looking ahead, and as a result I think so much about what I am trying to achieve that I forget to concentrate on actually achieving it.

It seemed to work for me: I remember one race in the 2015 Nationals when I deliberately concentrated hard on his advice, and cleared my mind of any thoughts, other than the precise tasks I had in front of me.  It may be coincidence, but that was my best position in the regatta.

Lots of food for thought.

To back that up, I notice that the RYA web site has a very interesting article on  Mental Toughness in Sailing by Skandia Team GBR's psychologist, Dr. Ben Chell

Finally, I was able to go to the Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace, where I took overheard part of a presentation by London 2012 silver medallists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, also talking about the psychology of winning. One of the take-aways I had from their presentation, was a Goal Setting grid and scorecard, showing what I want to achieve, and the tasks I will need to perform in order to get there. If it is good enough for Olympic medallists, who are preparing for Rio this year, then it might just be worth my while trying it.

I've started putting together my own view of the goals I want to achieve, complete with the Red / Amber / Green status indicator over time. There's a bit more refinement needed, but I think they are nearly there.

SO, with some clearer ideas of what I am aiming for, and more focused approach, it's time to collect 13941 from the repair shop. AND time to get back on the water....

Racing Accident = facing discouragement

Saturday 13 February was not a good day at the office for Gerry & myself riding our GP14, sail number 13941.

Conditions were strong, but not excessive: we had faced similar conditions in the Bloody Mary Regatta in January. But I have to say that I was not feeling 100% confident.

The wind was easterly, which meant a start around no 1 buoy, with some beats across the lake, followed by the prospect of a screaming spinnaker run back. It was not to be.

Gerry was timekeeper on the start, and I was really pleased with the timing to the line, and the positioning, close to the port biased end. My boat handling was not perfect, but we were around the middle of the fleet at the first leg, threading our way through the pack.

As we came in on Port Tack to head towards number 4 buoy, I failed to notice James Stafford in 14038, on Starboard Tack - i.e. he had right of way.  A manic pull on the tiller extension at the last minute meant that we hit James' boat around the port shrouds, rather than the bow, and sliced off a significant part of our bow in so doing. 14038 sustained damage, but he was able to continue the race, and ended up 8th.

We did our "turns" - paying the penalty for infringement of the rules. But bearing in mind the damage, the correct action was for us to retire immediately.

When we got the boat off the water, we realised that the damage was worse than we had feared. The boat is currently with a specialist for repairs. We will, off course, be covering the repair costs for 14038 as well as 13941.

Gerry, who was my crewman on lookout, was upset by the accident. But ultimately the responsibility was mine to ensure that we obeyed the rules and kept clear of other boats. This was the worst crash I had ever been involved in.

I felt bad for James, who was using the day as a final preparation race prior to taking part in the GP14 World Championships in Barbados in Easter. This was the event which I had dreamt about for the last couple of years, but we subsequently withdrew.

James Stafford was very gracious about the whole event. He was one of the first people I crewed for back in 2006/2007 when I first started racing. We wish James , and his crew Patrick Erwin, all the best for the World Championships in Barbados.

In the meantime, I am spending my time constructively reading about how to improve my dinghy racing, writing up the blog, and wondering when I will be back on the water.