5 Expert Tips

Shirley Robertson on offshore preparation

- By Shirley Robertson

Double Olympic gold medallist and double-handed sailor Shirley Robertson shares tips with Andy Rice on planning an offshore season

What’s your goal for the season? Shirley Robertson apologises if she sounds ‘a bit Olympic sailorish’ but says defining your goal is key. “Whether you’re doing round-the-cans racing at the weekend or aiming at a Fastnet or a Round Britain and Ireland Race, you and the rest of the crew need to define a shared goal which you can all commit to.”

The other thing, if you haven’t already begun, is to start the preparation today. Even with the boat out of the water in the yard there’s still plenty you can and should be doing in the pre-season.

Shirley is not one to leave anything to chance. Yachts are incredibly complex machines made up of thousands of components and every one needs checking. “Go through every part of the boat and make sure you replace any blocks, fittings or ropes that look even remotely suspect. When you invest all that time and money into going offshore, your race result and your safety depend on the reliability of every item on board. The failure of even one component, such as your main halyard shackle, for instance, can be your race gone in a moment unless you’ve got the right spare ready.”

While the following five tips are aimed specifically at preparation for offshore racing, most of Robertson’s advice is very applicable to any campaign: offshore, coastal, or round-the-cans.