Robert Scheidt wins an 8th Laser Worlds.

It amazes me that this guy is so much better than the rest ... he manages to consistantly extract more speed from his standard kit; how does he do it???

Rick

Standard kit?

Am I not right in saying that people like Robert and Ben (whilst still in Lasers) used to spend a lot of time deciding exactly which bits of "standard kit" to use?

Like spending time with sets of scales weighing hulls and assesing stiffnesses of mast sections with spring balances etc at the factory?

This is only a bit of sailing folkore I have heard, it may be cobblers, and at the end of the day good luck to them if it is true!

Oh, and PS it does help that these guys are sailing gods/godesses!

(we're not worthy!!!)

I believe at the Olympics all the equipment in the Laser class is supplied rather than sailors' choice, and Robert and Ben have still done not too badly. 

Is this the biggest white wash ever at a Worlds for an Olympic class - 9 x 1st plus 3 x 2nd.

AND all the kit is supplied at the Laser Worlds and at the Olympics ... so any daft comments implying he's got a slighly stiffer bottom section are pretty silly ... as if it would make any difference.

Rick

As I said, just folklore then!

These guys really are that good! 

It's the most impressive result in the whole of the sailing world this year (or even for some years?), a complete and utter demolition job using identical equipment.

Mike

All the Finns used at this years Gold Cup were provided by the hosts. Well all except for the guy who came second.  He thought that if he used his own gear he would be able to beat Ben, who was using one of the supplied hulls.

Not wishing to knock the guys skill in anyway.. but can any of them really be said to be using identical equipment? The dies for the extruded mast sections have got to wear during the production life cycle so there must be variables in performance depending upon when the section was made.

I've heard the stories of sailors choosing parts too, from some sources that I would like to think were reliable..

As someone else has said, for the worlds all the kit was supplied by the organisers.  For sure there will be minute differences, but I suspect not enough to have a measurable difference let alone allow one sailor to completely dominate in such a fashion.

Mike

I know back when I was sailing toppers I bought a new boat through Dave Cockerell. He went to the factory for me and went through a selection of hulls before he found one that he decided was light enough and stiff enough in the right places. Aparently there is a surprising difference and the really top guys will spend ages looking for the right 'one design' kit

I can't believe the mentality of people in our sport; of course make sure your kit is up to scratch but the biggest factor is the sailor(s).

When I sailed Topper I just has the first boat off the shelf - that was good enough to win the Europeans out right and the first youth at the worlds and nationals. How did you get on with your special boat?

If people put as much effort into their sailing as fiddling with their boats the average standard in the UK would be far better.

Rick

I should probibly note here that I would have been perfectly happy with the 'first boat off the shelf' It just so happened that Dave offered me a very good deal so I chose to buy through him, and he took it upon himself to select that boat. I knew nothing about the differences between boats untill he delivered it and had a chat with me about all.

As for how I got on... No where near as impressive as you as I never did the circuit but lots of wins and top-of fleet possisions at club level and handicap opens.

I guess it is human nature; people don't want to recognise their own inadequacies so focus on the equipment ... easier to blame the mast rake than your own inability to tack the boat!!

If our sport could have coaching to a deeper level (like golf say) people could actually improve.

I worked for a season in Minorca and I had sailors who has been sailing all their lifes and still didn't know how to do some of the basics; after a weeks training they left having achieved huge gains is thier ability. Shame the club system dosn't support coaching. All the money goes into the Olympic elite.

Rick

It is great that people are prepared to do this type of thing but why dosn't every club have a club pro.

When I sailed 420's & 470's in the 80's I benefited for the top coaches. No I sail the Musto the only pro coaching I get is twice a year from Mark Rushall at the two big events.

I can drive to my local golf club and get an hour with the club pro or go to my squash club and do the same ... why are their no pro coaches at club level?

Is it that sailors are no open minded to paying for pro coaching?

Looks like small cheese compared to the cost of new sails but I guess people will no pay.

Rick

Is that because their is no route out or that they just like sailing badly?

I am sure most people like to do better at things and progress ... why not help them to do that through pro coaching?

Rick

True, just seems taining is not that common.

We run tow pro traing camps with Mark Rushall for the Musto Skiffs and the top guys are always keen to help.

I guess it just depends on your attitude to your sport.

Rick

Because the skills that count the most are class-specific. I think running coaching sessions is part of the role of the class association and quite a few do it. 

I disagree; usually the things people struggle with are general.

As for the issue with funds; people pay £40 for a 30 minute golf lesson; would you pay that for 1:1 sailing coaching?

I am not talking about the club funding training but the individual.

Rick

Anyone wants any cat coaching I'll do it.  Done a little at Grafham for free for a guy who was getting to grips with his kite.  Both out together yomping up and down the lake working on speed, tack and gybe's etc. 

It just takes time and it's not a full time job as most people are working.  It's much more difficult to nip off to the sailing club for an hour vs down to the golf club for an hours lesson / time on the driving range.....

Interesting point. Perhaps it points up one of the (many) differences between golf and sailing as I don't know many people who'd pay £40 for 1:1 sailing coaching. Is this because many clubs have seen training/coaching as part of their reason for being, and have deliberately kept it low cost?  Do people really value what they've had for next to nothing before?

The class association led training sessions are good though, we've ran a couple of those at the club and got great feedback. Turnouts could have been better though, which brings me back to my original post which wondered if many mid/back fleet types are apathetic and can't be bothered!

No I wouldn't although I have and would again pay to go on class training events.

A while ago I made a class training video. We used a well-known professional coach (ex Olympic sailor) to run a training day, with a RIB chaser from which I videoed. Then we debriefed back onshore using the video, with the debrief run by the coach but with interjections from a number of class hot-shots. To me the comments from people within the class were by far the most useful part of the day; however the coach provided the structure for the debrief and that was valuable too. 

After that, as a class we paid for a class member to be trained as a RYA coach and he has run subsequent sessions (for free). I edited down the video so it was available to those who hadn't made the session.

I won't say on a public forum what we paid the coach but it was nowhere near the equivalent of £80/hour.  There are less well-known people around who charge around £150/day for keelboat coaching. 

Agreed; we run class training with the Musto's and it works great but I personally would like to recieve 1:1 coaching in addition to that but it's not really affordable to wheel in one of the usual suspects on the coaching circuit for a 1:1.

Rick