Opposite: words into action – this is Mr Okura’s Sled seen here in Puerto Portals on the way to winning the first TP52 Super Series round held since March 2020 and coached as usual by the author. Left: another master at extracting the best from the ‘assets’ he is given – Charles Caudrelier pictured with two of his crew from the VO65 Dongfeng, winner of the last Volvo Ocean Race. Caudrelier patiently worked through dozens of novice Chinese candidate crew before working away tirelessly with team manager Bruno Dubois and navigator Pascal Bidégorry to mentor them to a level of performance no one thought possible at the start of the project
When it comes to body movement and roll tacking – get Josh to lead the discussion. Get him to explain how he does it on the Finn, how it might be done on a big boat. The others will soon join in with ideas and ways it could work.
Your world might have sales targets, profit margins, tax and employment laws, human resource issues, new staff, uncertain future. So much information you need to get across, and so little time. Different story same problem.
And a clever leader is not going to sit at the podium with videos and light pointers and go over the day. The environment you want is one where you introduce a topic and the players take and run with it. A friendly relaxed chat that allows the players and coaches/boss to share their views and ideas. Maybe even with a beer in hand, to break down those defence shields. (It’s OK, you old-school coaches – we’re setting an environment in which the players will work with you, not for you!) In this environment the players are going to do some of your work. Sled, Mr Okura’s TP52, has onboard Murray Jones (six-time America’s Cup winner); Don Cowie (Olympic silver medallist); Jeremy Lomas (bowman in four Cup campaigns); Josh Junior (Finn Gold Cup winner); and Robbie Naismith (round-the-world race winner). I will back myself as having a bigger overall base of knowledge than any one single sailor. But taken collectively there is no contest. So use that to your advantage by doing things that brings out the collective expertise.
It’s just like kids, you can’t tell them anything. They have to work it out for themselves, and even better with their mates. So set the environment where they do just that. Naturally. As for the coaches, keep the notes so it’s not just a talk fest. The notes need to be kept in a way that everyone can relate to them when they see them again… Short and simple. They are going to read it on their phone. So you’re very limited in the number of words you get. In their words, not yours.
The way people learn best is by learning for themselves, all together. When they start sharing ideas of how they can get better it’s truly a beautiful thing.
As a coach you support them with some video, data or informa- tion, then let them work it out. Occasionally you steer the learnings a little, but know when to step back and let them run with it. That is the difference between a headmaster and an environmentalist. Remember ‘it’s not about you’. It is about them getting the best out of each other. Keep an open mind, you will learn right along with them.
Stop learning and adjusting with the times at your own risk. Think environmentalist when you’re looking to get the best from your team both individually and collectively.
Me, personally, I get a charge out of learning from the collective. The stuff that I didn’t know I didn’t know!
THE POWER OF PREPREGS
We have used Gurit prepregs for decades. They are in touch with our needs and respond to our requests, including the special technical requirements of many of our projects, for which Gurit is uniquely equipped. products which are consistent from batch to batch and from year to year.
©Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race
www.gurit.com/prepregs Eric Goetz, Goetz Composites
Visit Gurit at METSTRADE, Stand EF 103, Amsterdam, 16-18 November 2021
SEAHORSE 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
