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Inspirational Sailors

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davidyacht View Drop Down
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    Posted: 25 Oct 13 at 9:50am
I could list my childhood heros but most of them are now mates, and it now seems that they were not as old as they seemed at the time!

The most inspirational book was Elvstrom Speaks and the section that I love is Elvstrom sailing with Hans Fogh in a Star, when Fogh is sent under the aft deck while in 4th to tighten up the rudder bolts and when he comes up they are leading!

Dave Perry - Winning in One Designs is always a good book to flick through before a big event, particularly the cartoon "Welcome to Cornersville - Population One!"
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Nipper View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Nipper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Oct 13 at 9:29am
Lawrie Smith and Andy Barker.
In the 70's they seemed to be able to win at will, and this was at a time when Fireball's, Ents, Merlins would all be getting 200 boat fleets.
More importantly they always looked liked they were really enjoying it both on and off the water.
39 years of dinghy racing and still waiting to peak.
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iitick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote iitick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 11:29pm
Chris Dicks. When I was 14 and Chris was 16 in 1959 I realised that in model boat sailing (or life it's self) I would never have the determination to win. Learning this at an early age has made me a happy and contented man.

I regret to say that Chris died at 50, perhaps the stress of winning?
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davidyacht View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 10:43pm
Yachting and Boating Weekly ... Sorry Y&Y!
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Jack Sparrow View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Jack Sparrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 6:59pm
Myself of course! Or at a push.... Blackbeard!
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winging it View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote winging it Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 6:51pm
John Bertrand's 'Born to Win' about how the Aussies first wrenched the AC away from the yanks is an inspirational read.  
the same, but different...

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getafix View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote getafix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 5:55pm
We are lucky to have a great many very, very good dinghy sailors, designers and sail makers in this country, past & present.  People who I, and a great many others I have no doubt, have been inspired by, either by meeting and knowing or just by seeing them sailing, or by sailing their designs, such as:

Jo Richards, Phil Morrison, Spud Rowsell, John Turner, Bim Daser, Michael Jackson, Clive Everest, Phil King, Guy Winder, Dave Wade, Jim Hunt, Mike McNamara, Graham Scott, Dave Ovington, Reg and Rob White etc.. etc..  and forgetting a great many!

I don't think any other country can claim such a rich heritage or diversity. 

I am struck by three things mainly when I think about the really, really good racers:

- they make very few, if any, boat handling errors
- they make very few 'radical' tactical choices but a great many "non-radical" ones
- they have, generally, excellent boat prep

Whereas I tend to make 1 or 2 glaring boat handling errors, which then lead me to thinking that a radical tactical approach may be needed (it's generally, in hindsight not!).  I have also had important things break at the wrong moment too many times, which suggests that my boat prep may also leave something to be desired.

Must get the Laurie Smith tuning book back out sometime....
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 2:41pm
Another inspiration - the manufacturers of Star Yachts (the sailing models, not the Sharpie). I spent many happy hours running round Rushmere on Wimbledon common as the Star yacht sailed across. Home built models soon followed, starting a life-long love of boat design and boat building.
Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Dougal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 2:23pm
Nelson, Hornblower and Jack Aubrey (inspirational in their own way, be it fact or fiction).
What could possibly go wrong?
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JimC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 13 at 1:53pm
John Bertrand, Frank Bethwaite, John Spencer
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