Coach's Corner

Many beginning sailors wonder what it is like to go to their first regatta, while some of the older sailors (including us Dad's and Mom's) may need a refresher on what it takes to be prepared. Here are some tips for the next Regatta:

1. Be responsible and come prepared. Most successful racers start getting ready several days before the regatta begins. They do not rely on their parents or coaches to get everything ready, but take responsibility themselves. This includes eating right, drinking plenty of water and getting a good night sleep before the events.
2. Start Preparation Early. Several days prior to the regatta, go online and check out the weather for the area. Watch the weather for 5 days prior to the start of the regatta, checking the actual weather at the start time and the expected time for the last race of the day. By doing this, you can start to get a feel for the weather conditions that you will be sailing in. Read the NOR and Part II if they are available. Prepare your boat, clean it prior to leaving home, and clean it again when you arrive if it has road grime. A dirty boat is a slow boat.
3. Make and Use a Check List. Every boat has lots of parts. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have everything you need for your boat and the race, it is not your parent's nor your coach's responsibility. If you arrive at a regatta with a missing block or mast clamp, blaming your parents just makes them feel bad, and you are still missing the part. So make a check list of everything you need. Include all boat parts, sails, starting watch etc. By taking responsibility for the CHECKLIST, you will know what you need and if anything is missing.
4. Take Charge of Your Boat When You Arrive. Coaches and the parents help to transport your boat too and from the regatta, but it is your job to get the boat to the water, have it rigged and ready to go. So learn how to rig the boat. Make sure everything is right and adjusted and be ready to go. On team GSC, once your boat is done, see if your team members need help. We are a team, and it is everyone's responsibility to help their team mates be prepared and ready to race. RIG FIRST, PLAY LATER  should be the policy of all of the top GSC sailors.
5. Be Prepared at the Skippers Meeting. After you register for the event and check in, you will receive the sailing instructions. Read these instructions. If you do not understand something make a note. At the skippers meeting ask any questions. You need to know the following: Are there any changes to the NOR (Notice of Races) or sailing instructions, what is your starting flag, where is your coarse being set, what types of courses will be run (do not expect the race officers to tell you they will run a specific course, but you should expect to know all of the optional course they may run), when and where is lunch etc. This is your last chance to ask questions before getting out on the water.
6. Check In and Watch Out for your Team Mates. You have the boat rigged and ready to go, you know the sailing instructions, your course and your starting flags, now what. When you sail out to the coarse, make sure you check in with the race committee. You do this by sailing by the committee boat on starboard tack and call out your sail numbers. Race committee will confirm that you had checked in. If there is a coach on the line, check in with the coach for any last minute instructions. Finally, watch out for your team mates. If you know that there are 6 GSC boats in your fleet and you see that one of your team mates has not arrived, let your coach know. We are all a team and need to watch out for each other.
7. Race Hard and Stay Focused. Once racing starts, race hard and stay focused. Do not talk to other kids. It is hard to stay focused if you are having a conversation. This is especially true when you meet up with a competitor that you think has fouled you. If this happens, either sail on and ignore it if it did not disadvantage you, or protest appropriately, and sail on. Kids that get into arguments on the water usually lose. Even if you win the argument and the protest, the time you spend talking to your competitor usually results in other kids sailing by you. So race hard, stay focused, and don't talk to your competition.
8. Learn with Every Race. If you learn with every race, you will soon see yourself moving up the fleet. The top racers keep a journal of each race. The journal should include the date and race name, the conditions (wind speed, waves etc.), number of competitors, what you did well, and what you would do different and your finishes. It does not need to be long, but should help you learn. Look at Luke's article, it includes each of these elements and is a perfect example of how to record your race. Also look at the results - by learning on how to sail on Saturday, Luke was able to move up to two first and a third on Sunday.
9. Say Thanks. Thank everyone that is helping put on the regatta. Sailing typically takes a lot more help than other sports. Sailing does not have paid scorers, race officials, or parents. Each and everyone is usually a volunteer that is giving up their time to help out. Please thank them. This includes both the people on the water, and those at the club house. Thank the people cooking your lunches, or breakfast, thank the scorer, than the host club members that are making sure the docks are clean and ready to go.
10. Have Fun. Above everything else, have a good time.

Click the links below to read more about Junior Sailing.