Think Flow, Keywords

Think Flow

The wind is a very fluid thing. It wants to flow, and it's built to do so. We are not.
We need to guide the body and mind into flow mode to relax and enjoy.

Take a few good breaths in, blow out the bad.
Take a moment to feel the boat beneath you,
the sheet in hand, the breeze upon your brow.
"Feel" well to feel good.

Close your eyes and relax.
Let the constraints on your soul melt away.
You're sailing, and that's cool.
Open your eyes and shift glance into gaze.
Take in the full landscape. Enjoy the view.
Take it in, don't glance in a passing fancy.
Take the time to absorb through your senses.
Now calmly focus on the conditions before you, and the task at hand.
Be the boat, Danny.

To relax and concentrate simultaneously is a beautiful thing!

We need to set our minds to flow if we want to fully understand it's character and tendencies. We need to think "pressure and flow". It takes patience and concentration to maximize our tactile senses of touch, taste and smell, of sight and of sound. Get to know your friend. It's all time well spent. You can fight the wind or a friend but why would you? Tune to work with it, not against it. Stroke it and it will stroke you back. Friends too.
As a man of unusual character, I'm intrigued by character and characteristics that determine such distinction. The wind is a character woven of intricate cloth with threads of our atmosphere meshing together to form ever-changing forces of power through flow. Lots of variables to piece and puzzle through. Don't let distraction kill your focus, for the wind is tricky enough. In fact, the word "wind" is tricky in itself as it has many pronunciations and forms of use. The extent and variation is really quite remarkable (see below).


KEY WORDS
Boat Speed:
Proper rig, set, trim, and weight placement for the "breeze of the moment" translates into great boat
speed.
That’s easier said than done. How many key words do you have to focus on, and for how long?
How much of your brain deals with these items, and how much is available for key words like wind strength, wind direction, mark placement, fleet positioning, current, etc?
Then there's more key phrases like "shifting gears"; "big picture vs. little picture"; "avoiding the slowing influences of other boats"; "pointing the bow at the buoy".
It can be overwhelming at times. More than anything, remember to avoid
distractions (focus) and to believe (faith) in your abilities.
FAITH and FOCUS! These are the mother lode of key words.

Tactile Key Words:
Pressure:
Forget about emotional pressure and keep the mind occupied with things that matter, like pressure as it relates to the boat. Wind and water pressure are the forces that
drive our boat. In that sense, pressure is a pretty "KEY" word.
This pressure is tactile. It can be felt, and you can train to become more sensitive and instinctive to it. That's why we sail rudderless and blindfolded. We try to improve our sensitivity and learn how to feel pressure better. Past BU Coach Skip Whyte’s key phrases was; “The boat talks to you, you gotta listen.” You and the tiller need to act as one. You don't throw the tiller over and tell the boat to turn; you coax it through proper helm. Work in harmony with the tiller. FEEL the pressure and LISTEN to the boat.
Balance:
Balance the helm with your weight and your sails. Anticipate and adapt to the changing conditions and remain balanced. Understand the value of pressure, listen and feel the boat more sensitively, and fine tune its balance. Balance is SMOOTH. Balance is GRACE. Balance is
SPEED.

Power
In any given condition, the power is there. Sure, it's all relative but, there is power to be had ...and where there is power, there are discrepancies in power. Recognize when you are over or under powered and adjust accordingly. Balance the PRESSURE and harness the POWER.

Cognitive Key Words:
Keeping the mind relaxed and uncluttered is difficult.
There are so many distractions, but you can train yourself to remove many of them.
Start by concentrating on the race at hand. Garner what you can from past experience but keep it simple and to the point.
Forget about the names and the faces and the score sheet and focus on what will get you around the race course.
Think of three simple key words, Breeze, Buoy, Boats.

Breeze:
Never stop reading it. See it, feel it, hear it. Note strength and direction.
Where was it, where is it, where may it go. Pay Attention! The evidence is usually there.
You have to see it, acknowledge it, work towards it, and ride it to the buoy.
Buoy:
Never lose sight of it. Sail good angles to it. Make note of a preferred approach. Go to it.

Boats: The fleet may physically get in your way but don't let them mentally distract you from reading the breeze and working towards the buoy.
Clear your air when you can, but a little dirt going the right way may lose less distance than going fast in the wrong direction or double-tacking in breeze to clear your air.
Remember to do onto others as they would do to you and gas them when you can. Decrease lateral separation when leading to stay between the pack and the mark.
Use boat positioning to your advantage through loose and tight covers. Play the Fleet! You're the queen, they're the pawns.

Starting Key Words:
The goal of the start is to put your self in a position of favorable options (i.e. the ability to tack).

That’s easy when you “win” the start and have clean air and clear water. But that’s not consistently realistic, nobody win’s the start that well, that often.
A coach doesn’t want to tell a sailor not to try and win the start but must advise caution in the execution.
You have to read the situation, anticipate your opponent’s moves and go to the scale to weigh the risk factor and the reward.
Foul, OCS, or shot out the back is a heavy prize to pay for barreling into a traffic jam.
Winning the start may be your ultimate goal but you can do damn well
by achieving the primary goal, “To have clear air whether you decide to go straight or to tack”.
Options like these keep your ability to get to the first shift more frequent and you can effectively work the shifts and play the fleet.

Front Row:
The line is distinct, it is fixed, immobile, unchanging.
Maneuever your boat just beneath it at "go".

Full Speed:
It’s all about timing and the simple drill of buoy starts” can really help you out with that. Time and Distance.
Ah, if one knows the rate of speed a vessel travels over a given distance, in a given condition, one knows where to be beforehand (in the absence of other vessels).

Clear Air:
You need vision and maneuverability.
You must have the vision to anticipate traffic flow.
You
must have the maneuverability (through attention to breeze, helm and steerage-way) to protect your hole and keep your lee bow clear.
Often you have two neighbors, one above you and one below. You must beat your neighbors! Lee bow above and hold off the lee bow below by “gapping” properly and keeping as much room below you as possible.
Get your nosed poked out, drive fast and work to that first shift.

Essential Key Word: FUN!

Recap:
A dozen key words...
FOCUS
FAITH
PRESSURE
BALANCE
POWER
BREEZE
BUOY
BOATS
FRONT ROW
FULL SPEED
CLEAR AIR
FUN


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The Definition of Wind -in all its pronunciations:
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary -Copy Right 1997

Wind
-A movement of the air.
-A prevailing force or influence. Tendency; Trend
-Breath
-Gas produced in the stomach or intestines.
-Something insubstantial; idle words.
-Air carrying a scent.
-Intimation.
-Wind Instruments.
-To get a scent of.
-To cause to be out of breath.
-To allow to rest.
-To sound by blowing.
-Entangle; Involve.
-To encircle or cover with something pliable (wrap, coil, twine).
-To hoist or haul by a rope or chain and a winch.
-To tighten on the spring of (crank).
-To raise to a high level.
-To cause to move in a curving line or path.
-To have a curving course or shape.
-To move or lie so as to encircle.
-Coil.
-Turn.

Windbag: An overly talkative person.
Old Windbag: Coach