fantastic finn- four year itch

Well they are and I am also surprised, I put it down to early event nerves, on a couple of occasions I counted to two before the first nose crossed the line, I've watched deliberate port out of the back door when there was space in the middle of the line to fit a super tanker, even the super noggin the nog managed to get himself pinned to the port end, then big ben took a left buoy to go right thereby sailing under the entire on coming wind disturbing down winders, to name but a few tactical errors, not to mention missed shifts, bad positioning trying to over take between two boat, permitting lee bows, sailing in crap air when there's no need to...

OK different folk making different errors, but the winners as always were making the fewest as time immemorial, it's just you don't expect it off Olympian grade helms so it comes as a surprise.

 

 

That said; I'd be extremely surprised if they're making too many 'tactical cock ups'.  Watched the last sail for gold quite extensively online and was amazed at how they catch almost every single shift as a fleet.  It semed rare for anyone to take a split from the fleet and when they were forced to they usually lost out.  Makes you realise how much of a different league they are racing in. At events I partake in I think it'd be rare to see more than half the fleet on the same tack as each other within 3 mins of the start!

With the tactics out the way I assume an Olympic start line is quite an unforgiving place to be sat with 30 seconds to go!  There weren't many line sags at Beijing or Sydney if I remember.

 

On the topic of the thread I'm another vote that the slower Stars/Finns/Lasers are probably producing the best and easiest to understand television coverage for the public. Even though I don't really fancy racing any of them.  Personalities not equipment is what matters.  Not sure sailing as a sport has realised that yet.