June Training Weekend – Building Confidence in the Breeze

June saw the squad back on the water with Steve Irish, this time putting everything we had learned over the previous two months into practice in a much stronger breeze.

Every sailor has different strengths. Some are completely at home when the wind picks up, while for others, it is about building confidence and gaining valuable experience. This is why sailing outside of Blind Sailing UK is so important. The more time sailors spend on the water, the more confidence they build. Our role is to provide coaching that develops those skills further, helping create a squad that can train together, compete together and continue to improve.

With the breeze well established, Steve ran a series of short races using three-minute start sequences. Each crew was challenged to bring together everything they had learned during the lighter wind training weekends.

In stronger conditions, moving crew weight, trimming the sails correctly and maintaining clear communication became even more important in keeping the boat flat, fast and under control.

The lessons from April's coaching with Becky were also put firmly into practice. Boat control remained the priority. Smooth steering, accurate sheet trimming and keeping the sails working with the breeze all made a huge difference. In these stronger winds, oversteering or allowing the mainsail to become uncontrolled could quickly result in the boat rounding up, an uncontrolled gybe, or even ending up with the rail in the water.

Good teamwork and communication were essential throughout every manoeuvre.

With the welcome support of Alison, we were able to field three boats over the weekend, giving sailors even more opportunities to rotate between crews, experience different roles and continue developing their skills.

Of course, there were plenty of reminders when things didn't quite go to plan! Usually, you knew you had made a mistake when your feet suddenly became wet or you found yourself looking up at everyone else who was already sitting on the high side of the boat. Thankfully, every mistake became another learning opportunity and there was certainly plenty of laughter along the way.

After a fantastic day's sailing, everyone gathered in the clubhouse to watch the football. While it wasn't everyone's cup of tea, it provided another opportunity for great conversation, plenty of laughs and the chance to reflect on another successful day afloat.

Sunday – Fine Tuning Starts

Sunday brought slightly lighter and much shiftier conditions, creating a completely different challenge.

The focus moved to race starts one of the most important parts of any race. Crews worked on timing their approach to the line, aiming to be as close as possible at the gun while understanding the risk of being over the line (OCS). The challenge was resisting the temptation to run away from the line too early, instead slowing the boat, finding a gap and accelerating at exactly the right moment as the breeze continued to fade.

Each crew also took turns leading the fleet back to the start, giving everyone valuable experience of controlling boat speed, slowing down, accelerating and positioning themselves around other boats. These are essential skills, not only for fleet racing but also for match racing, where controlling space and timing can often make the difference between winning and losing.

From outside to in the boat with a fully sighted crew, or a mix VI crew communication and teamwork are key, working in tune, knowing your role and what each call means makes a racing boat.

By the end of the weekend it was clear just how much progress had been made. Communication was improving, boat handling had become smoother and sailors were beginning to anticipate what the boat needed before being asked. Looking back over the last four months on the water, it is fantastic to see how far everyone has developed.

A huge thank you once again to Steve Irish, all of our volunteers and everyone who continues to support Blind Sailing UK. Every training weekend builds on the last, and with each session our squad grows stronger, more confident and more prepared for the challenges ahead.

As we move into the next stage of the season, the focus remains the same: keep sailing whenever you can, continue building experience and bring those lessons back to training. The progress over the past four months has been outstanding, and there is still plenty more to come.

IF you do not have a club to sail at then contact us and we will support.