On Sun, 12 Oct 2014 10:45:41 -0500, Richard
wrote:

On 10/11/2014 7:14 PM, Ed Huntress wrote:

But them it's Gunner. So ...

A couple of things: First, consistent race winners in small boats
often win because they *ignore* what the designer intended, and
instead shape everything in a way they know is more likely to win.

While that's true, the reason behind it it those people have enough
experience with the boats they race to design it in the first place.

Not so true for the casual sailor or newby.

True..but then..they arent locked into "the way" either and like the
occasional newby pool player..are hard to beat.

I got my ass waxed once by a father/son in a beat up 5th hand
Lighting that they picked up in an estate sale..while I was sailing my
inspected and weighed Thistle...single handed granted..but they
crossed the finish line a half minute or so ahead of me..and 5
minutes ahead of everyone behind me.

I had to look at my own performance to see what I did wrong and found
it was largely "attitude" that slowed me down. Quite a learning
experience. Not an unusual one for me..but...shrug.

I won the championship for the next 4 and learned a lot about
myself and that "attitude"..and sailed much cleaner and easier after.

I took it upon myself to teach both the father and the son to
sail...and they did very very well coming in 2nd for most of those 4
yrs. Then they started coming in 1st when I put myself on the
official race boat.

The old man died about 10 yrs ago, the son moved along with his family
to Texas somewhere..hope he still sails..he had the Knack.

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child,
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
PJ O'Rourke