Rod Davis
Still crazy for it
Yacht racing, sailing really, is supposed to be enjoyable. You know, one of those things that brings a smile to your dial. Not something you make fit in, something that
other things fit around. And, oh, the life lessons it can teach you and the kids. What other time can you be free from phones, social media,
spreadsheets or timetables? You can make your sailing as mentally challenging or relaxing
as you want. You’re solely in control of the fun and satisfaction you have, not co-workers, customers, shareholders or the bank. Take advantage of that by using our sport to work for you. If meditation or mind cleansing peace is what you long for, make
that happen by not overthinking or even caring about the compli- cations of a pin-end bias crowded startline or busy mark rounding. Live in the here and now, think about it as it happens, not before, and be a ‘goldfish’, with a two-second memory. If you want to sit out a race, do it. You’re in control of the definition of fun and enjoy- ment, not anyone else. Only you. If being the best you can be at sailing is your goal, make it happen.
Accept that first you need to define what that is, given the time, money and dedication available in your life. Lawyers or financial experts with families who race sailboats on weekends have very different time/life equations than Olympians funded by sponsorship and national authorities. Both are trying to be the best they can be, with very different levels of reality of what that is and the enjoyment in getting there. If your answer to why you race sailboats is to win – hmm… (if
you could see my face right now you would witness a confirmation of uncomfortable disapproval!). Let me tell you a story. Stop me if I have told you this before. Oh, you can’t. OK, picture this. The team that was supposed to easily win the Super Bowl, like
everyone on the planet thought they would, lost. And lost badly. When they interviewed the quarterback on how his team could possibly lose the biggest game of the season, in his response was a valuable lesson to us all: ‘We came here to win the Super Bowl.
32 SEAHORSE
They came here to play football.’ Manage your expectations. Winning versus playing the game.
Rather than focusing on winning, channel that energy and attention into racing your boat really well. In all the aspects your time/fund equation will allow. Start with picking and harvesting the low-hanging fruit to be the best you can be. Notice there was no mention of winning? That Super Bowl lesson can’t be ignored. The keys to the ‘enjoy your racing more’ treasure chest are:
understanding your personal time/money/motivation equation, and managing your expectations accordingly. The point is that you have to do this before you start getting
frustrated by a lack of meeting expectations. Like not winning. When you expect to win every time in racing or life, it’s the road to dis- appointment. How about this for an expectation: to perform, as in sail really
well, like really really well. When I do that I am happy with whatever place I end up. Here’s a teaser for you. Psych test if you will. At the Olympics,
in the 400m butterfly, the gold medal was won in a time outside Olympic or world record time, in fact not even the winner’s best time. The bronze medal was won unexpectedly by a swimmer in lane eight, who swam a four-second PB (personal best time). Who should be prouder of their performance? Not what the public
thinks, what the athlete feels inside? That is where we are trying to get to here. Expectation is a strange beast. It can be used for good and
enhance performance, but it can also be detrimental. And of course it can be manipulated, so make sure you control your expectations. I do a lot of flying, almost always in the back of the plane. I’m
tough so I can take it. But a trick I use before boarding and turning right (turning left always makes you smile) to Economy seat 57D is to picture (sitting in 57E) the largest person you have ever seen. Massive to the point they take up the armrest on both sides because of the overflow. When I get to my seat anything less than that uncomfortable picture is wonderful news. It makes the whole flight enjoyable!
MAX RANCHI
ROBERT DEAVES
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