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| Home >> Top Tips >> TopTip2020 #73 - We are Not at Home to Mr Cock-UP - Keith Escritt, GBR |
TopTip2020 #73 We are Not at Home to Mr Cock-UP!
Keith Escritt, GBR
Keith Escritt of Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club recently came very close to winning the RS Aero UK Inlands from a fleet of 57 RS Aero 7 entries. He claims to have worked his way through an extensive list of blunders during his long and varied dinghy & windsurf racing career. Here Keith mentions a few, so that fresh young RS Aero ninjas may benefit!
So many good tips for making you go faster already that it’s hard to think of any more of much use. However I have been around a while in various classes so I thought I might use my experience to help. Specifically my experience of cocking it up! If there’s a way to lose a race or worse, an event, I’ve probably done it. There’s a saying about learning from your mistakes – here’s a chance to avoid that pain and instead learn from mine.
- Enter on time – especially if there’s an entry limit. Paying the late entry is the least of it if you find you can’t get into an event because an entry limit has been reached. Also it helps organisers to have entries confirmed. (Lord Birkett event, SailJuice events, perhaps restricted events coming up...)
- Make sure your insurance is valid and up to date. Be aware of the expiry date and if travelling abroad, check the country is covered and take the documentation.
- Does the boat definitely measure? Not that big an issue with the RS Aero, but to make ANY changes you should read the Class Rules carefully and if necessary it is worth checking with Class measurer.
- Check for wear and tear. Self explanatory, but remember, that line that looks ‘ok for another race’ will break or strip back to core in the most important race. That halyard cleat that seems to be getting a bit worn will fail you on the really windy day. Knots? Toe strap? UJ?
- As mentioned previously, tape up the tiller extension attachment. If you don’t, it will fall off at some point. At best inconvenient, at worst catastrophic and potentially expensive. (They don’t float). A more sustainable alternative to plastic tape if you like to regularly remove it is a short length of elastic in a figure of 8 around the joint. As shown in picture, a small hair scrunchy also does the job.
- Follow the safety rules. Tallies can cost a race or sometimes more generously, a donation to the RNLI. Do you have to sign on and off? Know if the SIs require you to sail between two buoys to register at start line, or rarely carry a tow rope or even more rarely nowadays an anchor
- Don’t ‘bang corners’. Actually it can pay, but will bite you pretty often too.
- If you’re a Pondy sailor try not to sail as if every opportunity to impose your rights under the rules must be used. It's often faster to let a boat go so long as it doesn’t stop you applying your overall strategy for that leg.
- In light winds and strong current, take a transit at the start of a reach / run so you can gauge how much you’re getting pushed up or down. If it’s pushing you to windward, don’t panic if some go high as they’ll slow massively later on leg as they have to go broad or even dead run into the current.
- Check the protest time and board. If you’ve been in an incident, no matter how minor, it’s worth checking if the other boat is going to or has protested. If you don't check and miss a hearing you wont be represented.
- Finally, If you wear a drysuit in winter remember to zip it up
PS Always be kind to old sailors!
Keith Escritt, Yorkshire Dales SC '
Photos;
Top: RS Aero UK Inland, Ladies and Masters Championships
Rutland Sailing Club, Oct 2019
Keith (1415) a close 2nd overall and 1st Master from a big fleet of 57 RS Aero 7s.
2019
Bottom: Yorkshire Dales RS Aero Open, May 2019
Keith (1415) looking for a way through the traffic on a breezy weekend at Grimwith Res, by Paul Hargreaves
Rutland Sailing Club, Oct 2019
Keith (1415) a close 2nd overall and 1st Master from a big fleet of 57 RS Aero 7s.
2019
Bottom: Yorkshire Dales RS Aero Open, May 2019
Keith (1415) looking for a way through the traffic on a breezy weekend at Grimwith Res, by Paul Hargreaves
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26/06/2020 20:30:00
Peter Barton
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