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gordon View Drop Down
Really should get out more
Really should get out more


Joined: 07 Sep 04
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Posts: 1037 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gordon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Inspirational Sailors
    Posted: 23 Oct 13 at 10:55pm
Helmsmen are fragile creatures - especially psychologically. If drying out the sponge helped the poor man sleep at night his crew should encourage him.

My bugbear, in small keelboats, where helmsamen who got annoyed about us crew taking our wet gear aboard when the weather was light. Much muttering about surplus weight. This in classes where the heavier boats did better in light airs. There was some theory about a slightly longer actual waterline length, or inertia to carry way through the lulls. IMHO it was far more that the helmsman, believig that his boat was disadvantaged would concentrate harder to compensate.

And of course, when the sea breeze did kick in the helmsman did not moan about the surplus weight as it was hiking on the weather rail - in fact they were usually grateful to borrow a spare fleece!

Which brings us back to Twiname and his emphasis on the psychological aspect of racing - his insight into the fear of winning is pure genius.
Gordon
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sandgrounder View Drop Down
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Posts: 220 		Post Options Post Options   Quote sandgrounder Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 13 at 11:23pm
Eric Twiname - Start to Win
I remember reading it in the early 70s at the time when Eric was Laser National Champion.
It was the one book which had a massive impact.
I've just ordered it again on eBay.
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Mike Holt View Drop Down
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Posts: 58 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Mike Holt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 13 at 11:34pm
Sail, Race and Win by the same author, still hear the lines in my head when I am racing. 

As for the sponge, I dry mine in the sun then put it in a tank dry, only to use if needed.
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Clive Evans View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 Feb 13
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Posts: 46 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Clive Evans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 13 at 11:55pm
Originally posted by Mike Holt

Sail, Race and Win by the same author, still hear the lines in my head when I am racing. 

As for the sponge, I dry mine in the sun then put it in a tank dry, only to use if needed.
 
but when is it needed? two person boat with suction bailer or self draining doesn;t need one unless capsizing and surely if that happens its race over :(
Spiral 816
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getafix View Drop Down
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Posts: 2143 		Post Options Post Options   Quote getafix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 7:31am
Reg White, Lawrie Smith, Phil Morrison, John Turner, Jo Richards, Spud Rowsell, Ben Ainslie, Ian Percy, Bart Simpson, Chips Howarth, Clive Everest, Frank Bethwaite.... in no particular order.

The first dinghy sailing book I really remember reading again and again was Lawrie Smiths Tuning book.  I love Merlins & N12's, I thought Clive's contribution to Moth's in the 90's were brilliant and the RS600 is great fun too.  Bethwaites' book is an oft-thumbed one also.  To the contemporary sailors I would also add Nick Craig, Dave Wade, Jim Hunt and Charlie Cumbley... had the pleasure to meet them all and see them sail, you do learn and enjoy your sailing more by simply copying them!
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winging it View Drop Down
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Posts: 3958 		Post Options Post Options   Quote winging it Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 8:16am
Rodney Pattisson's book on supercharging your dinghy.  outdated now, but the attention to detail was phenomenal.
Dave Perry, Eric Twiname.  Bryan Willis' rules book.
the same, but different...

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RS400atC View Drop Down
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Joined: 04 Dec 08
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Posts: 3011 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 8:56am
Originally posted by getafix

Reg White, Lawrie Smith, Phil Morrison, John Turner, Jo Richards, Spud Rowsell, Ben Ainslie, Ian Percy, Bart Simpson, Chips Howarth, Clive Everest, Frank Bethwaite.... in no particular order.

......!
Interesting list, shows how UK focused we are?
I'm struggling to add any foreigners myself but how about Bonezzi, nice bloke, fast sailor most beautiful boats? Might sound a tad more convincing if I could remember his first name....
What is Clive Everest doing these days? I knew him at uni.
 
I can also claim to have sailed with Alex Thomson, he crewed for me a few times when he was about 14?
 
Books, I would second Frank Bethwaite's books for the sheer enthusiasm and methodical approach.
I also have Ted Wells' 'Scientific Sailboat Racing' from about 1950.
The advice on the care and feeding of cotton sails might be a little bit funny, but much of the rest of it is 'plus ca change'.
Particularly the the bit that starts 'race committees should be lined up and shot....'.
 
RS Sailors, Nick Craig plus Paul Hilliar, Dave Hivey stand out as people who can not only win, but also help others to do better.
 
Plus a whole lot of good amateur sailors, it's not necessarily the champions who are most inspiring.
 
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gordon1277 View Drop Down
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Joined: 24 Mar 10
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Posts: 665 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gordon1277 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 9:20am
My List includes Peter Colclough, Rodney Patterson, Paul Elvstrom.

Jim Saltyballs book on dinghy racing and most of the fernhurst books on sailing all great and useful. Many articles in Y&Y of course.
Gordon
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gbr940 View Drop Down
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Posts: 198 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gbr940 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 9:36am
Same as Nessa Rodney Pattisson's book "Boatspeed: Supercharging Your Hull, Foils and Gear" got my classic i14 upto racing mode (as it was bare)...learnt loads from this BUT Stuart Quarries book "The Offshore Race Crews Manual" got me into racing.

Sailors that have inspired me...Paul Elvstrom (so much I worked for him for a while), Russell Coutts, Lawrie Smith, Rob Brown (from 18ft skiff fame) & Tracey Edwards. More recently i'm in awe of people like Nick Craig, Ben & Roz McGrane, Rob Greenhalgh and even our own Dan Holman - these people have amazing natural talent and much respect to all of these and thank them for my racing development over the years.

Clap Clap Clap 
RS400 GBR1321
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AlanH View Drop Down
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Posts: 84 		Post Options Post Options   Quote AlanH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 10:26am
My inspirational sailors two Petes, Colclough and Currie.

Re old books, recently had opportunity to review a bunch of books for a Northern magazine. Twiname, Start to Win, its still as good as it was. Various recent books, few cut the mustard but enjoyed Clive Eplett's. Quality of writing matters. But other old ones I'd like to return to Sailing- Wind and Current, by Ian Proctor, now reprinted. And Stewart Walker's ones. I'll give you an obscure foreign one- Regatta Sailing by Per Skjonberg. Anyone remember that? It was available in my local library, you don't get choice like that now. Good on how to steer upwind in waves, funny how you can remember items from so long ago!
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