Capt. Marc, veteran of multiple ocean crossings, and instructional pro, invites you to join him for lessons and/or excursions under sail. By special arrangement only.
Heineken Regatta, 2009
We are on final approach for the Heineken Regatta and I am starting to work through our landing checklist. So far everything appears to be in order. As near as I can determine, the islands are still located at about 18.03N 63.03W and the Trades are still blowing from the east. Transportation to St. Martin? Check. Accommodations? Check. Boat? Check. Crew? Check.
The Heineken Regatta Website at http://www.heinekenregatta.com/ is starting to get populated with 2009 specifics, including the course sheets. This time we have a pretty good sense of the water we will be sailing, so go to the course charts and start visualizing the races. If we all do this, we will arrive on the starting line having rehearsed the race dozens of times in our minds’ eye.
Last weekend I got together with Brad, Karen, Don, Elena, Mike and Kara for some practice sailing. The wind was incredibly light, making it difficult to maintain maneuvering speed, but we did make some gains. The moment of Satori came for me as we ghosted along on Sunday morning’s final zephyr.
As you know, I have been trying to communicate to everyone the idea that the boat can not be driven at optimal levels by a driver alone. It must be driven by the entire crew working as a whole. This synchronization of separate minds and bodies into a single organism can only occur when everyone “feels the boat”.
Here’s a visualization. Imagine that we are walking a tightrope but we are not 10 separate individuals—we are all parts of a single organism—we are a single super-being. At any given time, someone is the head. Another is a right arm. And still another a left arm. And so on. As we walk the rope each of us must sense the forces at work and make constant adjustments to stay in balance and move forward.
On Sunday morning I realized that words weren’t enough. So, instead of more talk, Don and I sat down at the port Genoa winch. I faced the sail and Don faced me (looking aft) with the winch handle in hand. As an imaginary driver called directions like “speed up, slow down, come up, and bare away”, Don and I continuously adjusted the jib—easing in the bear away, stalling to lose speed, cranking to come up. We became the driver’s left arm.
Maybe I should have done this demonstration a long time ago. Maybe I did. I don’t remember. But on Sunday morning, the time was right. During our pre-race practices in St. Martin, we can do more along these lines.
Last year, such feats of wholeness could not have been readily achieved, though there were moments. (Remember the last beat of the last race? This year we are much closer.
So in 2009 we will become the tightrope walker, but let’s remember not to get too cocky. One “major mistake” and we fall. Game over. So competence first. Grace and agility second. And no matter what, always “looking good”!