Among the skills needed to excel in the Optimist pram is epic upwind bailing technique. You can be a brilliant strategist, but if you can't sail and bail you will soon slip down into the fleet. Produced by Scott Norman, this video provides an onboard view of what it takes to bail and not flail.
You will notice how the legs are positioned to allow room for the bailer. Mastering the timing of when to bail and when to hike is very important. Also key is that the sailor not look at the bailer or the water in his boat, but rather remain focused on the tell-tails, wave patterns and puffs ahead
Note how the boat needs to be flat (or slightly heeled to windward) to allow the water in the cockpit to come to the windward side. In strong breeze this requires hard, consistent hiking and possibly easing the sheet a bit, when over-powered.
