Maybe it’s an advantage to start a new sport—say sailboat racing—from scratch. No bad habits, no muscle memory to unlearn. I’m used to coaching sailors at the top level, men and women who are trying to win something big, like an Olympic or Paralympic medal, or a world championship. Arguably, these top-end teams have far more good habits than bad, but helping them reverse their few bad habits has always been the most challenging part of my job. With that said, I've always wondered what it would be like to start fresh. So, when Erich Estes, an athletic coachable beginner, wanted to learn to race, was intrigued. He was my clean slate.
Estes is a 40-something professional with a demanding job and a family. He was working at home from his lakefront cottage and sneaking in short sails between work meetings or picking up the kids from school. While searching for YouTube tips on how to sail, he stumbled on racing, and long before his first start, he was hooked. Somehow in his browsing, he also stumbled on my obscure and rarely updated website and reached out for coaching.
Intrigued by the thought of an untainted disciple, dived right in. First up was choosing the craft of choice. wanted him to train on a singlehanded dinghy. Anything else has teammates, and that would add unnecessary complications. More importantly, a dinghy is the only way to learn balance, and thus feel. Even if he had a specific endgame, such as to compete in a J/70 or something along those lines, still would have had him start on a dinghy. On our choice of a Sunfish, Estes said: My personal preference was for a smaller boat because could strip down the experience to the essentials and the athletic part. Plus, there was a strong local fleet.”
Good last point—a local fleet is important. Other singlehanded boats could have worked just fine, but the local support group that comes with a local fleet is invaluable.
This story is from the Fall 2022 edition of Sailing World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Fall 2022 edition of Sailing World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tips for More Successful Epoxy Projects
That have nothing to do with epoxy mixing or application techniques
Auxiliary Rear Station Build
From past fishing experiences, I've learned that quick changes in speed and direction are often required when retrieving a hooked fish.
TARGETED PERFORMERS
Defending their title at the 420 Youth Worlds in July, Freddie Parkin and Asher Beck were on a roll-until they weren't.
BALANCE ON THE PINNACLE
The path to gender equity in the Olympics has been a long and twisted one, but when the sailors assemble in Marseille next year, we'll finally see what's been a long time coming.
SIMPLE STEPS TO CONSISTENT SPEED
Boatspeed is the magic ingredient for winning races because we can get away with bad decisions if we are fast, but we can't make good choices if we're slow.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL JIB-LEAD ADJUSTMENTS
Floating jib leads give trimmers more dynamic control of the headsail profile.
BETTER TOGETHER
Success over three decades comes down to making it meaningful.
JUSTINE THE MACHINE
This self-effacing Swiss sailor has-in her quiet and understated way become one of the stars of offshore ocean racing in recent years, whether as part of a winning crew in The Ocean Race or building her credentials as a top-class solo racer.
THE MULTITASKING MULTIHULL MOM
Competing in Olympic sailing's most challenging discipline is one thing, but doing so with a tyke in tow takes the campaign hustle to a higher level.
CONNECTED COAST TO COAST
From sunny St. Pete to historic Marblehead, the 34th edition of the Regatta Series linked sailors and friends across the country, with a few new twists.
