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| Home >> Top Tips >> TopTip2020 #43 - Time on the Water - by Tom Ehler, GER |
TopTip2020 #43 - Time on the Water - by Tom Ehler, GER
Tom Ehler may be fresh to dinghy sailing but has a wealth of experience from pro yachting including his involvement with the Round the World Races and SailGP series. When restrictions on our sailing do start to relax we need to consider how best to adapt to embrace the 'new normal'. Informal small group sessions like Tom describes may be an initial option, so we need to consider how we can do those most safely, enjoyably & productively.
I am relatively new to dinghy sailing but I am enjoying it immensely. I find the RS Aero is an incredible dinghy to sail and so much fun because it with its responsiveness it challenges you to get the best out of it.
For me the most important tip for sailing an RS Aero is time on the water. Go out and sail whenever you can. It is so quick to rig that it usually takes me longer to get changed, so there isn’t really any excuse not to take an opportunity. If you have the odd two hours here and there you will at least have one hour of sailing and improving in a short and focused session afloat.
When you do go sailing make the most of it. Check the weather forecast and set some goals accordingly. Set yourself some tasks. For example I did one race and I lost a few positions due to bad manoeuvres. So when I went sailing the next time I didn’t come off the water until I had done 50 tacks and 50 gybes. You don’t need to be out there for hours, but be efficient with your time. Work on specific boat handling skills; stopping the boat, sailing backwards, tacking, gybing and reaching. Depending on the conditions (wind and waves) work on your steering and your body positioning. I am one of the larger RS Aero sailors with 98-100kg and for us bigger guys it is super important where we position ourselves in the boat and exhilarating being a high proportion of the total weight! Our bodyweight has a bigger impact than when you are one of the lighter sailors.
Go out sailing in all conditions because guess what...It could be like that on race day. Don't stay at home because it's raining or because it’s gusty because your next race will not be in perfect sailing conditions either. Don’t be afraid of big breeze but be sure to respect the conditions and stay safe. Yes, I am heavy and I sail the RS Aero 9 rig but I sail the 9 rig in any weather, if it’s a light 5 knots or a strong 30 knots. Get used to the conditions and work on your set ups and you will find that you can handle a 9 rig in 20 plus knots.
So long story short: Go sailing as often as you can in any condition and set yourself little tasks to work on each time.
Hope to see you all soon. Tom '
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10/05/2020 18:29:00
Peter Barton
Posts: 4678
