One of the major skills that sailing requires of most of its contestants is teamwork. On boats large and small, the ability to work well with others towards a common goal is essential to success. The lessons learned for getting in sync with others on the water can often be useful on land, applied to the relationships that we carry on in our daily lives. These lessons need not be limited only to relationships of the romantic variety; they can apply to anyone we work and live with, between family members, spouses, friends, coworkers, or a number of other interpersonal dynamics.
Plotting The Course Blog
January 21st, 2014
History Repeats
I recently read an interesting new book by Mark Gabrielson titled Deer Isle’s Undefeated America’s Cup Crews, and was struck not only by its unique take on a couple of the notable Cup matches of the late nineteenth century, but also how some of the issues that arose over a century ago came up again in the match of 2013.
January 8th, 2014
Resolution, not Dissolution
In a sport as cerebral as sailing, there’s a certain psychological self-awareness needed in order to stay motivated while on the racing circuit. The sailor needs to understand how each event—each piece of their campaign—fits into the larger picture to remember why they are going through the campaign in the first place. It often helps to remind ourselves why we work so hard at it, whether we’re pursuing a major championship down the line, or just enjoying each race as it comes. Without genuinely wanting to be at a regatta and feeling that they need to be there, a sailor who’s been on the road a little too long can find their motivation waning and performance suffering. Keeping motivation up is just as important off the water, whenever we set a challenging goal.
December 5th, 2013
Welcome Aboard
I’m glad to have this opportunity to kick off my website and announce the publication of my first book! I’ve been writing about sailing for some time now, from “how-to” articles to regatta reports and interviews, but this has been a unique writing project for me in more ways than one.
