Key West Race Week 2010 – Part One
December 17, 2009
Here it comes. It is just four weeks away. 30 sleeps. Key West Race Week 2010.
The boats are on their trailers and we are preparing all the little things. Running all the lists. Checking them twice. And now (for the first time since last March) I am excited about heading down for winter racing. The program is grueling. The coaching is really frustrating and hard. But, I’ve forgotten all of that and I am looking forward to going at it again.
But maybe I haven’t forgotten everything. This year I think I am preparing for my best work, because I have tried to examine how I could improve on the past years. What little things could I do more that will make the events that much better. I’ve got a few new tricks for this year.
For instance I am trying to use visualization guided imagery, mental rehearsal, or mediation in my preparation. I used it as a swimmer in high school (Thanks Coach Dave!). Lots of athletes use it as a means of “intending” an outcome. And I am trying to bring it to my clients. For instance, here is an email I sent them the other day:
Thanks to everyone for sending back notes. It is usually about this time of year that I have completely forgotten how hard Key West is and get really excited about it. Well yesterday, as Willy T (our little yacht) settled onto her trailer with her rig packaged and strapped down, I got absolutely giddy. John, thanks for the offer to help me with the bottom prep. There’s something about strapping on that respirator and getting really dirty that I like.
I realize that this is holiday season, but I want to encourage you to do any and all physical activity you can between now and the event. It can be grueling physically, and while I think I have learned some tricks for keeping the crew together, fatigue is certainly a factor to performance. If if it is a 30 minute walk daily, just find some sort of physical routine. We are four weeks away from the regatta, but I think our team preparation can start right now. Each of us can take on our own commitment to being physically fit. Mentally I think we can start preparing as well. I will send out “thought pieces” over the next few weeks so that we can have a discussion – or at the very least you can begin to know how I think – about situations we are likely to see at KWRW.
For instance:
Visualize that the starting gun has just gone off. It is blowing 16kts, from 005M, seas are about 4 feet and a little confused here on the line. We are in the front row and smack dab in the middle of the line. The left hand side of the course appears to be slightly favored to us, due to likely left hand shift (geographic), and potentially some current advantage (it is running left to right along the beach at a little more than .5 kts). We’ve got a boat to leeward of us about 2 BL’s away. To windward we have three boats. One is right on our hip and likely an even competitor. To windward of them is one of the fastest boats in our fleet and she has a full BL hole between her and the boat between us.
So…how do we need to set the boat up? If you are the helmsman, what do you need to concentrate on? What are your jib telltales doing? If you are the spinnaker trimmer (2nd back from the bow) what should you be concentrating on? What should you be communicating to the team? If you are the bow person (first back from the bow) what should you be concentrating on? What should you be communicating?
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I’ve never sailed at KWRW without this EXACT scenario taking place. NEVER. What happens over the course of the next two minutes will roughly determine whether we are top or bottom half of that race. So, I’d like for you to (if you have time) fire back your ideas (just to me please) of what needs to happen based on THIS scenario.
Can’t wait to hear what you all have to say. I really believe that if we visualize over the next month likely scenarios we won’t be caught off guard when we see them in the heat of battle.
I think this will help my clients be better prepared for when we actually get there. If not, it was at least a good excuse to daydream about sailing. But I think it is much more. Have you got an idea of how you would answer my questions? I encourage you to respond by posting a comment here on the blog.
Gale Force Sailing’s Kristen Berry “Sailor of the Week”
December 9, 2009
Today US Sailing announced that I was picked as their Sailor of the Week. I am really floored to have been picked and happy to be a part of such a great group of sailors who have received this recognition.
You can click to the actual article, or see what US Sailing wrote, below.
Sailor of the Week
Kristen Berry
Kristen Berry has worked as a sailing coach and corporate team building event coordinator for more than five years. Kristen is the owner of Gale Force Sailing, an organization that provides professional coaching, instruction and innovative team building and leadership development programs.
Kristen, and Gale Force Sailing, works in close partnership with Oceana – the largest global ocean conservation organization – in order to advocate on behalf of marine ecosystems. Together they formed the Ocean Conservation Yacht Club, a virtual yacht club, designed to help boaters become more connected with the marine environment and conservation issues related to boating. In October at the Gentleman’s Ball, Kristen was presented with GQ’s Conservation Award by celebrity ambassador, Adrian Grenier. “Sailing has changed my life,” added Kristen. “In not only redirected my professional career path, but also has taught me some of the most important life lessons.”
Kristen coaches with JWorld Annapolis – America’s top ranked sailing school and is actively involved in their learn to sail, cruising and racing programs in Annapolis, Key West and St. Petersburg, Fla. He is a sailing instructor with the United States Naval Academy where he trains USNA Midshipmen and United States Naval Officers fundamental sailing, seamanship and leadership skills.
Kristen has also coached the National Maritime Heritage Foundation’s National Capital High School Sailing program. This one of a kind program is an alternative educational and physical fitness program for high school students in the Washington, D.C. area who are interested in sailing and racing. The program provides a positive environment in which all students learn the importance of teamwork, respect, responsibility, leadership, commitment, sportsmanship, and general sailing and racing techniques supporting varsity and junior varsity interscholastic competition.
Kristen spent several years with professional grassroots and lobbying firms where he designed and directed award-winning campaigns at the local, state and federal level. Kristen’s campaign experience includes working for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Kristen was worked as a lobbyist for corporations and municipalities. He was also a researcher/writer for ESPN’s X Games.
Kristen started sailing in a dinghy on a small lake in Fort Wayne, Ind. “I didn’t have much access to the water,” explained Kristen. “Yet, somehow I always knew I was a sailor.” Kristen sold everything he owned when he went to college, and bought an old 22-foot sailboat and a “how to sail” book. He got started in racing on Santa Cruz 70s in the Chicago area. “The owners and sailors on those boats really accelerated my learning, my passion and my experience,” mentioned Kristen. Kristen looks forward to competing as part of a team that will race at the 2010 J80 World Championship in Newport, R.I.
When asked about what he enjoyed most about sailing, Kristen answered, “From a sporting side, I enjoy the fact that there are no hard boundary lines and the self policing nature of the sport. From the enjoyment side I am an explorer and adventurer at heart.”
Annapolis Frostbite Racing Rules Scenario #2
December 7, 2009
It is Frostbite season here on the East Coast. We hardily dress like we are going skiing, and then bomb around the harbor in boats big and small while our little piggies turn to wood. It’s silly, but my goodness it is fun.
One of the things that I particularly like about frostbite sailing is that we sail courses that we wouldn’t usually sail during normal racing. There are plenty of argument against white sail only racing and reaching biased course, but I think the challenge that these courses present, as well as the fact that the boats tend to stay pretty close together (similar speeds and less boat handling issues), make for a whole heck of a lot of fun.
It also makes for more rules situations. If you are way out in front you don’t often have to worry about rules, but for the rest of us in the melee there are some very unique rules scenarios that seem to play out over and over again.
One of the common situations arises when boats reaching at very different speeds become overlapped. When this happens Rule 17 – PROPER COURSE kicks in and all sorts of interesting scenarios take place. So let’s look at a diagram where an overlap between a windward and leeward boat takes place when another boat sails between two overlapped boats. I’d bet you’ve seen this situation before.
So what rules apply and what would be the best tactical decisions for each of the boat? Feel free to expand on the situation if you’d like. Post a comment with your ideas and questions and I’ll diagram some of the best and maybe we can together come up with an answer.
Team Brickhouse Interview with Dave Ullman
December 3, 2009
I like what Kristen Lane is up to. And it is not just a name thing. She’s been showing the Melges fleet a thing or two, and I think she took the right approach when she got Dave Ullman involved to help with some coaching. Below is an excerpt from her fabulous blog.
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Dave Ullman is somewhat of a national treasure. He has 4 “World Champion” titles to his name – all in high performance boats (the 470 and the Melges 24). He achieved his latest title at 61 years of age. To say he’s a great sailor is an understatement to be sure. But sailing is just part of Dave’s story. Beneath his many titles and accomplishments is a man who knew at the age of 16 that he would pursue sailing as a career. He struggled with dyslexia and only learned to read in his late 20’s. He worked hard through two Olympic campaigns that culminated in winning 3 World Championship titles in the 470 class leading up the trials. His Olympic aspirations crushed by the US Boycott, Dave took another path. Here’s a little insight into why this guy is so good and why, people who crave competition
should listen to this story of hard work, determination, and guts.
K.Lane: Dave, thank you for joining us. It’s an honor to have you here with us.
DU: “It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me.”
K.Lane: You and I just finished working together and I want to bring our audience up to speed. You coached our Team Brick House Melges 24 team in Annapolis in preparation for the 2009 World Championship. In addition to Team Brick House, our training group included Alan Field and his team aboard “WTF” and the Swiss team of Blue Moon. For Team Brick House, I can say your coaching made a huge impact on our performance. Peter and I finished in the top 20 and were thrilled with our progress over the training period. So, let’s start by discussing your approach to coaching sailing teams, and amateur drivers.
DU: “Coaching requires looking at the program and deciding what is the area that you can make the greatest improvement over the least amount of time. Another way to think about it is what are the greatest weaknesses of the team? What can you do to improve those weaknesses as quickly as possible? Unless you have an ongoing program for say 1 year where you could develop skills over a long period of time, you have to take a shorter approach. We don’t spend that kind of time on this sport. For the 2009 Worlds, I had to ask myself what would bring this group the furthest along in the shortest time. We had 4 teams with a wide range of experience levels so I had to strategize a plan that would help everyone.”
K.Lane: I have already noted how helpful the coaching was for Team BH. How did the other teams feel?
DU: “WTF felt it was a huge benefit. I have been working with Alan and his team for some time so I have a good relationship there and I know that team well. They learned a lot but didn’t quite get the regatta results they wanted. Blu Moon, it was not much time to implement change before the regatta in Annapolis, but I had spent 2 weeks in Europe with them. In the days before the regatta, we didn’t have enough time before the event to really make an impact.”
K.Lane: You won the Melges 24 World Championship in 2007 at the age of 61. Where does that victory rank in your career?
DU: “It’s quite high, obviously, because of my age it’s extra special. But without a doubt, winning the 470 worlds three times was the highlight of my career. It was the highest moment of that class so that would certainly be the pinnacle. Winning the Melges 24 worlds proved to me that at an older age, I could still compete on a high level with the world. And it was really nice that it was a heavy air venue on top of that. It was a personal triumph.”
K.Lane: That’s funny because the 2007 worlds had a similar impact on me. It proved to me that I could sail this boat against men in any condition.
DU: “Yes, you can!”
K.Lane: Let’s talk about Olympic pursuits – Tell us about how you pursued the Olympic dream:
DU: “I was in my mid-20s and I was a pretty good sailor. Going for the Olympics was a natural pursuit. And by that I mean, you have some success and then you have to ask yourself, now what? Today, sailors may head toward the AC but back then it was Olympic sailing. The 470 fit my size and mentality – it was small and the highest performance boat at the time. It was not that expensive and had the best competition in the world. In the ‘72 – ‘76 campaign, I won the nationals and Pre-Olympics two times and I finished 4th at one of the world championships. Then, when it was time for the trials – it was light air and I choked. I finished 3rd. I didn’t sail very well in a regatta that I should have won. So, I took the next 4 years to execute a plan and started practicing quite a lot. I won three out of the next four worlds, won a lot of the regattas in the US. At that time, I had to be looked upon as the top US hope for a medal.”
“Then the boycott. The US went ahead and had trials but we stopped practicing 3 months before that regatta. In fact we weren’t going to go to the trials at all, but the Olympic committee told us we had to show up to get our promised funding. They also created an incentive for sailors to participate by offering the winning team a free trip to Kiel Week. So, not winning the trials that time around was not a disappointment.”
K.Lane: How did the US government inform the athletes about the boycott? What did you think about the decision to boycott the games as a protest to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan?
DU: “We read about it in the news – that it was being considered. I actually was naïve to think it was a good thing and was supportive of it at the time. I personally first found out about it at the 470 worlds in Brazil.”
K.Lane: Tell me why you initially thought the boycott was a good idea and how your view now has changed?
DU: “I bit on the line that it ‘was the way to stop Russia.’ It was about the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. 20 years later, I wouldn’t support it now but my political views have changed significantly since then.”
K.Lane: I was a child when the boycott was happening. Though I was just a kid, I loved the Olympics and at the time I couldn’t understand why the athletes needed to give up their dreams to make a political point. How did you perceive the justification by the US government that Olympic athletes were the correct body to make this point on the world stage?
DU: “It turns out the boycott had no effect on the political situation. It lead to further boycotts and didn’t solve any of the problems it meant to address. It seemed reasonable to me at the time because it was such a small sacrifice compared to what a soldier would face. But it turns out it had no effect. From the political side it comes from a policy that had not long term planning. It was a not just a waste for the athletes; it was simply just a waste all-together. At the time we didn’t understand the history of Afghanistan. We didn’t understand that no one can really control Afghanistan”
K.Lane: OK, let’s take a quick jump back and discuss when you committed your life to sailing. At what point in your sailing development did you decide this sport would be your lively hood for the rest of your life?
DU: “16 or 17 years old. I was surfing and sailing a lot. My dad, who was a big influence, sat me down and said ‘Dave you are a pretty good sailor and an OK surfer. You need to commit your time to what you can be the best at.’ I knew then that I was going to commit my life to sailing. I wasn’t a good student, and was dyslexic. I wasn’t really going to go to college and was lucky to even graduate from high school. Luckily my dad was smart enough to sort this out and give me some guidance. My mom taught me how to read when I was in my late 20s. She figured out I was dyslexic so she went back to school herself and learned more about it, and then taught me how to read. When I was a teenager, we fought tooth and nail – I didn’t do my homework because I couldn’t read. She was a saint enough to figure out the situation and take care of it. It changed my whole feelings about my mom. She’s a saint. I didn’t look at her that way before. She educated herself and then educated me. It also brought us closer.”
K.Lane: Tell us, how did you decide to start Ullman Sails?
DU: “I started Ullman Sails in 1967 – In a garage for a short period and then in an office suite that was probably 20’ X 15’. It was just big enough to lay out a small sail. I was just married and had a child on the way. It was time to settle down and make some money. I had been working with sail makers and by the time the whole Olympic program came along, Ullman Sails was well established with a strength in one design sails.”
K.Lane: Since your Olympic experience, what has been your roll with the US team?
DU: “I was the official 470 coach for the ‘88 Olympics for men and women. I dealt with US Sailing for about 2 years in that mode. US sailing was not well organized at that point – we had great results though. My understanding is that US Sailing has changed into a much better organization to work with.”
K.Lane: What are your thoughts on how the US team is preparing for the Olympics? Where do you see that effort going for US Sailors? Is it on the right path?
DU: “The history is that until ‘96 we were the total dominant sailing country in the world on an Olympic level. In ‘96 we started to crumble. In 2000 we hugely deteriorated. Athens was worse. Clearly the last Olympics were the low point.”
K.Lane: What’s the lesson for US Sailing?
DU: “Funding. It’s all funding. Look at Australia and England. Their sailors are fulltime-funded and sailing full time as well. They are not funded on an occasional regatta basis. They sail full time and are on their country’s payroll. There’s been a belief in the US that under systems like Australia’s, sailors don’t do as well because they don’t have to fight as hard. But the reality is sailors spend more time sailing and end up being better than their competition. It’s why I have been successful in my own career – because I practice as much or more then the guys I compete against. If there’s something that’s important to you like sailing, you simply have to work harder than the next guy.”
“US Sailing is starting to see the light. They are starting to change the path. It’s not easy. It’s hard to raise enough money. There is no longer a debate as to what the best path is. The results tell the story. On an Olympic level, funding is the proper path irrespective of how you select team members, which almost doesn’t matter unless you have the funds to support them.”
K.Lane: Let’s talk about stuff people don’t know about you. For example, I recently learned that you have a passion for golf. How long have you had this interest and how good are you?
DU: “You always need an activity outside of your mainstream activity. The key is to make that secondary thing more fun, less challenging and less intense. I’m not the best at that. I’m still intense. I golf 2 to 3 times per week. I’m lucky to have a wife that keeps me on track – she tells me to go golfing or to golf less. She’s much brighter then I am and she keeps me balanced.”
K.Lane: I hear you are a pretty good. How good of a golfer are you?
DU: “I’m a 9 handicap. No tournaments. There’s not room for two things like that in my life. If I’d done tournaments, I would not have sailed. I knew that was not good. It doesn’t mean that when I slow down from sailing I won’t do more of that, but not right now.”
K.Lane: Are you planning on slowing down your own sailing at any point?
DU: “Not as long as I can be competitive. That day will come, but I don think it has come yet… Although that day may have come and I am just realizing it now because I had a very bad Etchells regatta last weekend…! It’s a great sport when a guy at my age can do it and still love it.”
K.Lane: Not everyone knows you are technically “retired”. What’s your status with Ullman Sails?
DU: “I’ve sold the loft that I owned. But I still own, and with the help of Kelly Buchan, run the international franchise business. I own the contracts. The last 2 years have been quite severe. But it’s starting to show signs of coming back. Surprisingly the problem is much greater here in the US then anywhere else in the world. Some places, like Australia, are showing no signs at all. Italy is showing some signs, but not bad. The industry is showing a come back. The Annapolis boat show actually sold boats. Some pockets of sailing are going strong – IRC in Hong Kong – new boats, new sails, and big financial commitments to programs. I really like it there. Hong Kong is just incredible. Getting to go to great places and meeting great people is the best part of my job. Seeing the places I get to see – it’s pretty rare to sail in a bad place, and I’ve met some really great owners.”
K.Lane: Let’s talk about the sport of sailing itself, what are your thoughts on its health and future prospects?
boats, and some fun small boats. But in general, the boats are not much fun. Also, the expense has gotten quite high, which has always been true for this sport but the difference now is the landscape of the families who own boats. It used to be that single income households dominated our society where money spent on sailing never ran into any roadblocks. Now-a-days with most families being a 2-income household there are more people involved in the decision-making. The result is a detrimental effect on money spent on sailing. Additionally, sailing is generally not a shared sport within families. Plus there are more activities for children that take time away from sailing.”
K.Lane: What’s going on with your own Melges 24 program?
K.Lane: Simple question here. Melges 24 Worlds 2011 – Corpus Christi. Are you doing it?
DU: “Definitely doing it. And doing it right. That’s a great venue. It’s not such a great place to visit, but the sailing is spectacular. The biggest Melges 24 regatta in the US was Key Largo – good sailing plus a great place to vacation with your family. I think the Melges 24 class is starting to remember that important equation when selecting venues for big regattas.”
K.Lane: So Dave, let’s wrap up with a look ahead for you. What’s your future look like?
DU: “I am working on the Melges 24 and Etchells projects as personal endeavors. I’m doing a Mills 41 in Hong Kong – That’s a great boat with good guys. And then I sail with Brack Duker in his Santa Cruz 70 and Jeff Janoff on his Farr 40. I’m as busy right now as I have ever been on the pro sailing side. I am very lucky.”
K.Lane: Dave, you are one of my sailing heroes. Thank you for sharing a little about your story. We wish you all the best.
Thank you for checking in with TeamBrickHouse.com. My next sailing adventure takes me to the Bahamas in January where I will compete in the 29er World Championship. It will be my first big event in that class and I’m certain I’ll be faced with many opportunities to push my edges. 6 Years ago I started driving in a 35’ keel boat. Then I moved to a 24’ keel boat. Now I’m making the jump to dinghies and saying goodbye to keels all together- along with stability and dryness. In fact, the 29er is shaped more like a dinner plate then boat and has plenty of sail area for its size. Somehow I have convinced Charlie McKee to sail the 29er Worlds with me… Suffice to say I couldn’t ask for a better skiff teacher. I’m looking forward to the challenge and can’t wait to get out on the water.
Stay tuned for more news about Team Brick House.
Sail Fast!
K.Lane
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