Ahh, the question to you, Jake, is :

Would you have learned the same amount or more during those initial 3 years if you HADN'T sailed against the group with the Supercat 20, a Prindle 18 and 2 G-cat 5.0s ? By sailing only by yourself ?


Sorry to answer your question straught away but I know the answer to that.

Each year one of the most enjoyable things at my club is to get a few of the intermediate sailors to do a few races. These sailors never done a race and pretty soon learned to only reach back and forth. Sometimes they think that after doing that for 2 or 3 years they can sail a catamaran reasonably well.

Than we put them in a handicapped club race and their eyes open up. First race they get completely killed. One time a very **** fellow just finished his first lap when the last of the other boat finished. He was not so **** after that particular experience.

What we do after is sort of very important. We greet these crews when they get back to the beach and help them out of the water and buy them a drink. While enjoying the rush of alcohol 1 or 2 of us sit down and mention we sailed their type of boat in the past and give them a few pointers. Quite frequently 1 or 2 of us offer to jump on board with them the next time and help them.

Halve the time they become more active sailors / racers. The halve seems to get back to what they are were doing before, reaching back and forth, but are from then onward mindful when commenting on their own sailing skills. But I can't imagine that these people came away learning nothing, something must have stuck. Some times they try again when they are ready and them we are ready to pick them up and make some sailors out of them.

Wouter