TRANSPARENT COACHING 1

by Pam

Doug took some great videos and pictures on Saturday. Then he left the camera on my desk to upload the photos and I opened the memory card slot only to find it empty. The card was still in my computer from my last upload. Doh! Rest assured, we'll be back to take more.

So Catherine had taken notice of the improvement in my sailing since Doug started coaching me and asked me if I could teach her some things to help her. Flattering but I don't see myself as qualified to teach. I've learned alot but not nearly enough. Therefore, Doug and I are going to work with Catherine and see if we can improve her sailing. Amber has also expressed an interest in joining in the fun so we'll see what happens there as well.

I thought it might be interesting to make this coaching effort transparent. As in, posting it online as we go. Last year I made the mistake of buying Doug what he considers to be the best birthday present he's ever received. I got him a magnetic white board and those cool little magnetic boats and I've been paying for it ever since. He watches my sailing and sees patterns in the mistakes I'm making. Every morning, I would open my eyes to see the white board at the foot of the bed with the boats in a new configuration that we then discussed. Luckily, I'm passing the tests more often these days so I've had fewer of them. I see some white board puzzles in Catherine and Amber's future though. Might as well post them online and let everyone learn, right?

So Saturday was step one for Catherine. Figure out strengths and weaknesses and where to go from there.

Doug's observations: Strengths were capable of getting good starts when focused and good boat speed. Weaknesses were lack of race management, poor tacking and gybing. Very similar to where I was a few years ago.

My observations: Strengths were keeping the boat flat in puffs. I was watching a Laser sailor heel in the puffs and Catherine was steering perfectly in order to stay flat in those same puffs and not lose speed. Very good. Weaknesses were boat handling, more specifically, body positioning and learning when to tack.

Boat set-up. I sailed Catherine's boat for one race. I'm not an expert but noticed a few things that I would change and Doug agreed.

1. Grease the mast step (it isn't rotating);
2. Get a longer hiking stick so she can get her weight forward and out as needed;
3. Rake the mast back using Bruce's boat for measurements;
4. Stop using the swivel block at the center of the cockpit and run the main sheet under the leeward toe rail;
5. Install a protector under the toe rails (Bruce did this for her yesterday ... thanks Bruce!);
6. Try my main sheet (the kind recommended by Jim Young Sailing) instead of the heavy one she is using; and
7. Her sail is quite old but we're going to see if se can get a little more out of it with these changes.

After we've done some of these more obvious changes, hopefully we can get Bruce to sail her boat and work his magic and really get it moving.