FOM 2013

On a more sensible note, the only reason I'm joshing about bringing a Miracle was because imv it's a bigger Bandit than what the rest of you brung, it was of course a joke, I wouldn't want to beat any of you other than through sailing means.

If it holds together I shall bring my EPS again, at the end of the day and of most races it was fun battling out with (I wish I could remember the lads name) in his EPS, it did at least prove I'm not totally off the pace. After going out of the gun in the first race, having had to dip the line, left Dan on my Lee Bow and marvelling at the speed at which he left me for dead, proved to me rather like a similar incident once did thirty years ago on a sailboard, that I still am desperately short of fast technique.

So with that all in mind, bluster and bollox aside, I used to be a dab hand at getting round cans by means of sail, I'm now what 6 or 7 years in, ok 2 in a single hander, what possible hope has somebody who's never done any sailing before, got in a regatta like the one we've just been through? And we're self proclaimed eejiots (albeit with a lot of experience between us I'd say) so what's lacking, aint the boat purchase decision, what's lacking is adult race and tactical training. If folk were naturally better trained sailors would they still be trying to bandit their way to the front of any given regatta I wonder?

I'm even thinking of going on a Laser course at a mates place in Cabarete (Dom Rep) if I get chance this winter to see what can be done about it..

Edited by iGRF - 22 Oct 12 at 12:37pm

BTW- Twiggy says the best form of training is practice, practice, practice and race, race, race, ideally with as many variables in the equipment/rig set up as neutralised as possible...  there's no surprise that when I got into a 'normal boat' (finn) I wasn't half as bad as I thought I was going to be- it was hardly 'grunt it out' wind for big guys.

James I agree, Graeme didn't look as bad as many have made out.  I think in the EPS he has found a boat which will help teach him how to sail a boat (not a board) without the added complexity of a kite or an out and out speed machine.  Funnily enough in his own backward way he has found his way into the same way most people learn, in a single hander!  If he sticks at it I see no reason why he couldn’t be a half handy dinghy sailor.  I noticed he seemed to sail the right way up most of the beats, and was near as dammit on the front of the start line.  All of which must be what helped him with his self proclaimed domination of the board racing scene.  FWIW it was Graeme’s boat handling which slowed him down.  I would bet that if he stuck in the EPS for another year we would see a marked improvement in his overall position.  If Graeme bought a decent PY racer that suited his body weight (like the streaker) I think he would get so much more enjoyment out of dinghy racing.  I fear at the moment he turns up to a gun fight with a sword (or a long board race with a wave board) 

Originally posted by iGRF y'all are just going to get uglier, something that barely improves with 6 pints and a couple of bottles of Barcardi.

At least we can get uglier  

Graeme, I would strongly reccomend that you should get out to Cabarete if you can and you have the contacts.
If you do, consume every book and DVD about laser sailing you can, and get hold of a laser radial beforehand and sail it on pond and channel as much as poss so you hit the ground running.

Its pretty windy and wavy out there on the whole, so you'll probably wake up every morning feeling like you've got leukemia, but its warm, a lot of classy laser sailors train there, and I understand the coaching is good. Plus you can always have a relaxing windsurf / kitesurf to cool down afterwards.

Provided you go to a place like that in a reasonable state of competance, you'll bring your sailing on more in a week than you would in years at home working it out yourself.

There is a bit of laser sailing that is esoteric, but most of the skills you'll learn will be pretty transferrable, esp to something like the EPS.

Dan