Sights and sounds...

...can bring people back in time.

The holiday period from November through January 1st can be sensory overload! The seasonal changes, sensory cues and damn Christmas carols playing moments after the last bite of turkey, all trigger memories of years gone by.

It's really quite an interesting aspect of human psychology, the relationships between sight, sound, and smell with human emotions and memories. One of many elements I enjoy most about sailing, how it engages all our senses and can either keep one alive in the moment or bring back, for self, some lovely memories.

Back in the day...

Our family use to get together around this time with other families from the marina for an America's Cup holiday gathering (the taped races). They were great parties. I actually think I better understood the cup in my pre-teen days, then ever I do now. Today - I get a headache with each press release and instantly filled with disappointment and tune into the commentary of the Barcelona World Race for a reprieve.

I miss my childhood innocence around the Cup, how my "marina friends" and I would announce to our parents how we were going to someday be America's Cup sailors. Once, sitting in the middle of the living room, my younger self was fending for tele rights from "non-sailor" step father who wanted to change the channel from the Cup to something about UFO sitings, "No!, that will be me someday!", standing my ground, as the women I looked up to, duked it out in the male dominated waters. My grandparents (both sailors) had been visiting and now deceased grandfather, in his gentle tone, simply said, "Dear, you will need to be much bigger". Was somewhere between 10-12 at the time, I'm told.

I have to chuckle when thinking back to being one of the littlest in school, too scrawny to wear proper little girl clothes and dressed like a little boy most of the time, "helping" my true father on the boat and never once thinking I wasn't "big enough". Oh well, in truth, the America's Cup is no longer an ambition - out grew it- on to sailing across oceans...some day.

In my youth, the America's Cup was the highlight of sailing, the level of sailing any young sailor would hope to achieve, an event worth watching - would like to move on. There is more to the world of sailing than the America's Cup and those who are key in what makes it special, feel they have the talent to make other events special while those who cast a dark shadow duke it out...

There is more for the sailor than the America's cup as well.

Personally, would like to see the sailors, no matter age, class of boat, etc., be the highlight of the sport over one particular event. With the ever more physical boat designs making way to a local docks, mother nature's mood swings and demand for creative means to power these beasts of all shapes and sizes, will require the growth of the sailor in many different facets.

Support the sailor and support the future of our sport.

Sailing with finesse...

...on a 30 foot boat with "big jobs" and little sailors...

This weekend awarded the opportunity to share the Mumm30 experience with a fellow sailor. I was able to sail the boat, once again, from beginners eyes and brought back to the day when I was once told I was too small to do the fore deck on a Mumm30...

As I walked through the fore deck and pit positions, flooding her head with way too much information, it occurred to me all the explanations, tips and tricks were geared towards someone who can't "muscle through" a job or task.

As a science fanatic, I do respect anatomy and physiology, knowing some "bodies" are better suited for different types of jobs within the different levels of sailing. With that said, not being a very big person who aspires to sail on medium to big boats, getting the job done on occasion requires some mental and physical finesse.

So... Sailing Finesse 101...which only works if you have sailing 101 under your belt...

"Big jobs can be done by little people...remember David and Goliath..."

Use your head...think ahead...respect own abilities and inabilities and don't be afraid to ask for help when needed (leave the ego at the dock, bringing the humble heart on board)...still struggling to get the job done...is it because of feeling too small...not strong enough...can a different "tool" be used to help complete the job...could a tweak in "how" the job is performed help...or, at last..."communication" to fellow crew to set a slightly different stage to perform the job (my fav...."please square the pole"...)???

Aside from on the water practice, trial and error there is land training to the aid of us little sailors who can...want to be a 5 foot halyard jumping rock star on a 50+ foot boat...you will have to use that 5 foot stretch of arm length to it's fullest potential with both speed, strength and agility (since stable surface only occurs while docked).

How?

Perform an "air hoist" with a coach to first assess if full range of motion(ROM) is being employed, then either head to the gym or fitness center to consult a trainer in formulating a program/plan which maintains ROM, builds power in the movement with speed. Freestyle swimming, climbing and rowing are all great (and fun) extracurricular activities to build stamina and strength for rock star hoisting and many other jobs on a sailboat.

Need more guidance ... ask SailTrim. On land training, positive attitude and on the water practice can help someone tune their mental and physical attributes to finesse most "big jobs" on any size boat...

Fair Winds,
Jenn

The little black figure on the bow is me at this years Acura Grand Prix:


Photo: Tim Wilkes 2007

Besides "beginner's eyes" on this weekends sail, gratitude to the people who gave me the chance to try the "big jobs" despite little hands. ~ Thanks to my Mudheads and Family!