The author approaches the bottom mark during the 2019 OK Worlds in New Zealand where the theory (fortunately) turned out pretty solid with ninth overall in a 110-boat fleet plus a Masters world title. At non-Olympic level the OK and (ironically) the Finn are now two of the world’s strongest dinghy classes, benefiting from an influx of world-class sailors who want to get back to the competitive but easier-going, fun environment where it all began. The Finn Masters remains the goliath of Corinthian racing – 355 sailors raced the 2016 worlds in Garda – but the OK is catching up fast, helped by being suited to a slightly lower weight range. That said, the top two finishers in New Zealand were both former Olympic Finn sailors – Dan Slater and Freddy Lööf, a three-time medallist including a gold medal in the Star at London 2012. In third was Kiwi Olympic hopeful Josh Armit. Not a soft fleet
is more of an internal thing that makes you stay the course and keeps you focused. Arrogance is an external thing that other people see, and most of the time despise… at least that is the way I see it. The mongrel is what keeps you on the path when others say that
won’t work, or try and push you off course – off the path you believe is right. Most of the time these ‘others’ are not intentionally trying to mess with you, it’s just they don’t have the belief in, or even under- stand, your well thought-out path to making it work. Confidence and mongrel are what get you through the setbacks,
and there will be plenty. Ideas that worked in theory, failed in practice or could not be implemented for a variety of reasons; one of your best people pulled out, was injured, or any number of hurdles thrown down on the path. They are just blips along the way. Just suck it up, adjust and press on. The path to success looks very different internally than what it
looks like to the observer. Success and getting the best out of yourself are never clean and simple, the twists and turns can drive you mad. That is true in every case – ask Grant Dalton, Apple or Seahorse’s Andrew Hurst. Confidence and a bit of internal mongrel are what will get you going
back in the right direction. We have seen it at the Olympic Games over and over again – athletes or teams failing after not finding a way over, around or through a hurdle chucked in their way. They didn’t suck it up and move forward. In fact, they tripped over the hurdle. Other times you see teams come back who defy belief – like Jo and Polly, the Kiwi girls in the 470 in Rio. Shocker start to the Games with an OCS and a DSQ, but they battled back to a silver medal! Confidence and mongrel. Don’t be a sheep You don’t have to run with the herd, but think
it through for yourself. If it makes more sense to go on a different path, take it, with conviction. If the best path is with the rest of the herd, stick with them until it’s not in your best interest. People stay attached to the herd as their default answer. Often
it is because it is just easier – others want to do it, or it is best for me. Only one of these is a proper reason to run with the herd. The point is to think, truly think it through, and do what works for you. Manage the expectations Both yours and other people’s of you.
That is not easy. Used to be considered a great policy to ‘under-sell and over-deliver’. That died because if you under-sell when everyone is promising the world you won’t even get your foot in the door. What you can do and expect is a maximum effort from yourself,
and help others on your team to get the best out of themselves. This can only make you stronger. Work and sport are the same that way: focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves, or not! But all you can do is your very best and to do that you need to be in the right mental space. When people ask how you’re going to do, just say ‘Don’t know,
very hard to tell because there are so many factors. But I do know I am working very hard to control the ones I can control, and to be the best I, and the product, can be on the day.’ Enjoy the journey Have fun with the whole thing, all the way to the
end. If you don’t enjoy it you won’t be able to put the effort in long term. Don’t take it all so seriously that you forget to laugh every so often, or smile at a mistake. You will find enjoying the journey is contagious – everyone else will enjoy it, and put more in, so all will be in a better mental state to perform. Spend more time exploring, asking, listening, experimenting and
becoming what you want to be, and less time picturing yourself winning. In the end it’s all a game, the game of life.
SEAHORSE 29
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