Left: Dave Ullman 470 training with the author off Long Beach in 1978; at that time Vanguard Boats were the supplier of choice in both the 470 and Finn classes. While 35-year-old Vanguards still thrive on the Finn Classic circuits, sadly those floppy old 470s did not last quite so well! Below: the 2007 Melges 24 Worlds, which Ullman won at the age of 61, featured this spectacular final day with bits of Melges 24 littering the waters of Monterey Bay. Right: modelling that quintessential California look in 470 News back in 1973…
of any endeavour – a challenge. ‘It’s very easy to coach someone in how to trim sails, or what sails should look like. But the proper approach to coaching is to convey your mental attitude to racing, to building a solid programme. If you look at upper-level professional sports, such as basketball or football, a coach does that. There’s no reason why in sailing a coach shouldn’t be looking at the big picture, not just at how to sail the boat.
‘One of the challenges of coaching is that you are dealing with all kinds of personalities. You have to find how to pre- sent your philosophy to different people. My particular philosophy and racing style resonate with some people but not with others. It often takes time for us to find a way to work together successfully – it doesn’t always happen right away. ‘My goal is to make their programme as stable as possible and make it work for them. It’s not easy. It’s difficult. But always it’s personally very rewarding, especially given some of the extraordinarily talented people I have had the privilege of coaching.’ Ullman began his coaching work with the US 470 men’s and women’s teams at the 1988 Olympics in South Korea, and continued with other 470 teams and with the America True and Oracle America’s
32 SEAHORSE
Cup teams. ‘Most recently I have been coaching two US women’s 470 crews, and now we’re down to one – Annie Haeger and Briana Provancha. They finished third in the 2015 European Championship, which we are quite happy about. They are learning what Olympic sailing is about. They are competing in their first quad - rennial, and they’re up against what I faced in 1972. But they are great learners, and I am lucky to be their coach.’ With over 60 years of racing across a
wide range of classes and every level of competition – Dave began racing at the age of five – what does Ullman tell young sailors on the way up? ‘The best advice I can give is this: spend more time sailing. Spend more time on the water, getting a feel for your boat, for different conditions, getting to be more comfortable and more at one with your boat.
‘The more you do that the more you’ll be able sail your boat naturally without having to think about it. I see most kids
PAUL TODD/OUTSIDE IMAGES
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