This past Wednesday Fun’d Race saw a total of 25 boats! Well done and thank you sailors, it was a great treat! Results: Squadron Series Offshore Race 2 is this Sunday (24th February) and F15/Dinghy racing pick up again on Saturday 2nd March. Sailing Reminder:
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Have a read through this enlightening article about teamwork,
One way to divide the roles: 1. Forward crew monitors conditions and the fleet. 2. A jib trimmer with fewer speed controls can be more effective with tactics. 3. Main trimmer focuses on trim and speed only. 4. Helmsman’s attention is on fast, safe driving. My daughter likes to watch the television series Friends while studying. We’ve had discussions about how this either helps or hurts her ability to study and absorb the material. She claims it relaxes her and helps her study for longer. I say she can only do one thing at a time, and what seems to be multitasking is actually switching between two different things. I recently sailed the J/70 Worlds in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on board Glenn Darden’s Hoss. My job is tactician, but I also trim the main. We sailed pretty well and finished 14th, but I was left with the strong impression that we would’ve done better if I had been either a main trimmer or a tactician, but not both. Sailing a J/70 upwind at a high level requires a number of things to be done well; steering, main trim, backstay tension and jib trim are all important. As boats get closer together, and as the sea state gets rougher, it’s even more difficult to keep the boat going high and fast all the time. As we trained for the worlds, we got faster by improving each of the key inputs, to the point where we had competitive speed. Not as fast as the top five teams, but in the game. And this turned out to be the case in the regatta. When we were all dialed in to speed, we could sail with nearly any boat, and sometimes gain. What I didn’t realize was how this intense focus on speed was affecting our tactics. We had two great forward crew who talked about the wind ahead, the position of the mark and the spacing of the other boats. But the decision making was mine. I was preoccupied with going fast with proper main trim and backstay. We were not using our collective brain power as effectively as we could, and this caused a number of poor tactical decisions. My attempt at multitasking wasn’t working. On the J/70, we have four people. The helmsperson is just that: focused on driving. It’s a hard boat to steer really well, especially in rough water, so the rigid attention to steering makes sense. The next person forward is the main trimmer. Together with the helm, they focus on speed and moding the boat for every situation. They have the mainsheet, traveler and backstay, so the tools to control the power in the sails are in their hands. However, as in our case, this person is often also the tactician because they are often the most experienced sailor on board. The forward two crew would help with calling the wind, course geometry and fleet position. The jib trimmer works the jib sheet and looks around, while the forward crew calls the near-term wind and waves. But the big decisions are made by the main trimmer. Some of the top European J/70 teams have started to change these roles. They use the jib trimmer as the tactician. This person has some speed and handling duties, but they are much less frequent than the main trimmer, so they can spend most of their time looking up the course and figuring out where to go. This also facilitates a positive interaction with the forward crew, who is also free to analyze the wind and look for opportunities to make tactical gains. There is only one small catch: The view to leeward from the jib trimmer spot is restricted by the jib. The main trimmer does, therefore, need to describe what’s happening in the tactician’s blind spot. This takes less mind share, and the main trimmer is free to focus on speed. On larger boats, there are more people to share the load, of course, but there are still only four primary jobs that have to be done well. The key to success is to find the best people for these jobs and let them focus on their responsibility. It makes no sense to double up like we were on the J/70. Even if one of your team is less experienced, you will get further if you give them a job, teach them how to do it well, then let them focus on it without interference. For the coming J/70 season, our team is going to try switching our roles. I will move forward into the jib trimmer/tactician role, where I can focus on putting us in the best spot, and Charlie Smythe, our excellent jib trimmer, will move back to the main trimmer spot, where he can use all his talents and concentration to make us go faster. Before next season, I encourage everyone to think about your team’s composition. Can it be improved by redefining roles? Change can be difficult, especially for teams that have been sailing together for a long time with people in the same roles. But change is good, and I’m confident it will be for us as well Article by Jonathan Mckee for Sailing World. Come one, come all!
We have an incredibly festive day ahead of us, this Sunday (24th Feb) at RNYC, we are hosting a Shave-a-thon! It is set to be an unforgettable fun-filled day and we encourage everyone to join! We will also be serving up a delicious Potjie for lunch in the Lowerdeck, as well as our usual Roast in the Britannia Room. Join us while we make some positively colourful "chops and changes" in support of Highway Hospice and patients fighting against Cancer! The Cape 31 is the class design chosen for this year’s Lipton Cup Challenge. With a lot of excitement surrounding the event and class, here’s a little more information about the great new design! For further information and results from last week’s Cape 31 Invitational Regatta, in which Honorary Life Member Elian Perch participated, have a look at the Cape 31 website
The 1st Port Natal Sea Scouts joined with the Asherville Scout Group at our Clubhouse for an exciting day filled with activity. The young Scouts helped with a clean-up of our lawns and slipway. They also participated in a rope tying and safety protocols, lead by Scout Master Koko (1st Port Natal Sea Scouts). The day ended with the Scouts in the bay on our Teras, having great fun on the water!
“We joined 1st Port Sea Scouts for a morning of sailing at the Royal Natal Yacht Club. The scouts were introduced to basic sailing terms and techniques before heading out onto the water. Special thanks to Koko from 1st Port for inviting us and to the scouts of 1st Port for their hospitality. We plan to make this a regular activity.” It’s that wonderful time of the year again - the annual ladies charity luncheon with proceeds going to Highway Hospice!
The afternoon will feature seafood lunch, entertainment, prizes, inspirationals talks and, per previous years, cancer screening. The Luncheon will be held in the Trafalgar Room on Saturday, 16th March 2019 from 11h00 - 15h00. This will be a smart-casual event and will cost R150.00 per person. Starter Smoked salmon mousse on homemade crumpets Mains Creamy prawn Risotto topped with and mussels and shaved Parmesan Dessert Shh...it’s a scrumptious surprise! Please advise if you don’t eat seafood and we will happily serve you a different menu. Please RSVP by Monday 11th March 2019 to Shaneé Davie - e-mail: [email protected], Tel: 031 301 5425. Please note: table bookings are available, with a maximum of 10 guests per table. Since the visit to Durban of Joshua Slocum in 1897 the Royal Natal Yacht Club has been privileged to host many interesting visiting yachtsmen. This week is no exception and we are delighted to welcome Dustin Reynolds to the Club. Dustin's seamanship recently been acknowledged by the Ocean Cruising Club. Members will be interested to read more about the award and its significance. Members are encouraged to visit the Club and meet this intrepid yachtsmen who is an inspiration to the many armchair sailors. Take a look at Dustin’s website and follow in his journey. See below for more information on the award. We had an great turn out of 22 boats sailing with us this past Wednesday! Results from our latest Wednesday Night Fun’d Race can be found below. Results from the January Club Draw:
1st prize – R4 250 - Mr M Sousa 2nd prize – R750 - Mr G Hurter 3rd prize – R800 Meal Voucher - Ms L Beardall 1st Attendance prize: R1500 Meal Voucher - Mr K Brodie 2nd Attendance prize: Meat Hamper - Mr M Collins 1st Bottle prize – Dieu Donne Chardonnay - Mr K Brodie 2nd Bottle prize – Dieu Donne Cabernet Sauvignon - Ms S Ebrahim 3rd Dinner for 2 – Dinner for 2 - Mr K Brodie This year’s Valentine’s Dinner, in the Britannia Room, is sounding as scrumptious as can be. We have sensational starters, mouth-watering mains, and delectable desserts - all for only R250.00 per person! Valentine’s MenuStarter
Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese Mussel Hot Pot Chicken Lollipops Crumbed Mushrooms Fried Hake Goujons Mains Roast Lamb Roast Beef Roast Potatoes Chicken Curry Two Seasonal Veg Melanzane Brinjals Yorkshire Pudding Rice and Gravy Dessert Strawberries and Cream in Phyllo Pastry Basket Homemade Peppermint Crisp Tart Homemade Chocolate Brownies Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce All proceeded by a delicious welcome drink! Booking is essential. Please contact us to book on 031 301 5425. RNYC Valentine’s Dinner, 14th February 2019. |
AuthorThe Royal Natal Yacht Club is the oldest yacht and sports Club in Africa and the oldest yacht club in the southern hemisphere. Read our Newsletter to find out more! Archives
February 2020
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