Let your competition be your coach.

On Saturday I was running some windsurf training.
Running alongside was a junior windsurf regatta, (T15 for those that are familiar with the RYA initiative.)
After the racing one of the racers who I know (age 12) came and spoke to me. I asked him what he learnt from the racing today. His answer was one that many racers could learn from.

Tom "I watched the guys who were sailing better than me, if they were pointing higher or going faster, I tried to do what they were doing. I also tried to be more consistent than they were over all the races"
As it turned out this tactic served him very well as he managed to win his class, against, by his own admission better windsurfers than he was.
I tried a similar tactic at a recent Laser open at Frensham pond SC.
In the second race I finished second, the sailor who won was very strong in two areas.
Firstly his leeward mark rounding's were very efficient, gaining him half a boat length over the competition at the start of every beat. He was also consistently fast and pointing well upwind.
In between the races and over the next two races I worked on this, and managed to improve on my performance in these areas.
Unfortunately other areas of weakness held me back, and a 4th place finish was the best I could manage on the day. Never the less I left with a sense of satisfaction that I had taken another step forward, and had identified some areas of my sailing to work on.

Next time you go sailing try taking a leaf out of Tom's book. Treat the sailors ahead as your own personal coaches. It takes the sting out of being beaten, and gives you a way of getting better.

Happy sailing
Andy