Three sneakily powerful words

by Kim Couranz, SpinSheet
“I don’t know.” On the surface, those may seem to be three of the hardest words to say in sailboat racing. You may feel like you’re not giving enough information, or that you’re not knowledgeable about something, or that you’re not helping… but you are. Having the confidence to say “I don’t know” while small boat racing can actually be really helpful. Let’s explore some situations where “I don’t know” is a powerful statement that can lead to both success and learning.

“Which way should we go?”
Tactics and conditions can be challenging for sure. Good sailors process and consider all sorts of observations, including wind speed and direction, current, geographical features that could affect the racecourse, weather and tide forecasts, and so much more. Put them all in a pot, shake them up, and oftentimes you’ll come up with an overall picture of the racecourse: Less wind and adverse current on the upwind leg on the left, so we should emphasize the right side of the course. – Full report