P&B Musto Race Team Profile - Ben Rayner
by Dave Wade & Richard Sault, P&B 26 Apr 2007 08:48 BST
As part of the P&B Musto Race Team tenth anniversary, P&B will be profiling one of our top sailors each week with weekly offers on their favourite products.
Ben Rayner
- 1st Scorpion Inland Championship
- 1st Scorpion Autumn Championship
- 4th Scorpion Nationals
- Scorpion Nationals Race winner
- 5th Fireball Worlds
- Twice top 10 at Fireball Europeans
Which is your most important piece of Musto equipment and why?
When sailing a week long Scorpion championships you become best friends with your Musto Hikers! The padded knee pads help protect against general knocks in the boat and the battened sections on the back of the leg help you get up the last beat! I now would not sail without them and are therefore my essential piece of Musto Equipment.
Lately I have become quite attached to my Musto MPX GoreTex drysuit and Musto fleece hat, but that's winter sailing in Yorkshire for you.
How satisfied have you been with P&B sails?
I know the amount of research and development which goes into P&B sails and their consistent results speak for themselves. I was particularly impressed with the kite developments last season, as both Dave and I noticed a fair increase in downwind boatspeed when we changed to new shape spinnakers
How has being a member of the Race Team helped your sailing?
Being a member has helped my sailing, but differently from how I expected. Sailing in a new boat, with new sails, wearing new clothing certainly puts you in a mentally better place. Positive brain normally means positive sailing. Sailing with sails and a boat you know are up to the business (apart from when you are fixing leaking boats, broken spinnaker poles, ripped kites, broken prodders, centreboards which keep coming up etc.) you are free to concentrate on the elements of racing which help you win races.
Sailing with different people is always good for extending your experience. Different people always do things slightly differently, some of which are good, some of which are not. This allows you to pick up the best elements and sailing with Dave Wade last season helped me pick up some new ideas.
I also learnt that I can't concentrate properly on sailing well whilst sucking lollypops - unlike Dave.
Has being a member helped you to achieve your goals? How?
Some of my goals seem nearer, but it has created new ones! Goals are good.
Have your goals changed since being a member of the Race Team?
Dave and I were very disappointed with our Scorpion Nationals results last year despite finishing 4th. I personally need another crack at it as I know we can do better. Prior to being a member of the Race Team winning the Scorpion National was not one of my sailing goals.
What is your most memorable moment of the last sailing year?
Winning a race at the Scorpion Nationals by almost two legs!
Do you have confidence in changing your sails and still achieving consistent performance?
From last seasons experience, changing sails brought performance gains. At no point did I feel we had reduced boat speed from changing sails
What are the main differences in sailing as part of the Race Team rather than as an individual?
Somebody to talk to? Seriously... good support from a team who are trying to help you sail to your best
What tips have you picked up from other Race Team members?
I have a tendency to tack too quickly, which Dave identified. Learnt that need to shift up and down the gears more frequently by adjusting the rig for smaller changes in conditions than I had previously been doing.
If you could improve one thing about your sailing what would it be? Could P&B, Musto or other members of the Race Team help with that improvement?
Build a clubhouse at Yorkshire Dales SC. Got any spare cash?
A P&B Race Team race training weekend could be useful. There are a lot of experienced people in the Team and I am sure all members could learn something from someone.
P&B Musto Race Team Weekly Offers:
Also worth a check out this week is the
P&B Holmenkol Special Page. Polishes to help your boat work friction free, ready for the major events coming up.
Download P&B's April Newsletter for more Special Offers, News and Advice...
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