12 Jun Fly’s guide to surviving offshore racing
Inshore racing, match racing, offshore racing… its all just sailing right? Wrong!
While the main component of each racing style is sailing, and sailing skills, each bring their own challenges to the table.
1. Offshore racing is just as much of a mental battle as it is a sailing race. First and foremost, it is important to take care of yourself. Just like when flying on a plane, you always put the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others.
2. Having inadequate gear for yourself can turn a fun race into a miserable race pretty quickly. Once your morale is low, recovery can be tough.
3. Sleep schedules! They are scheduled for a reason. When you are off watch shift it is key to harness every minute of sleep that you can. Unexpected events can happen at any moment which could cause you to get summoned back up on deck during your off watch. Not only does poor sleep lower your morale, but it jeopardizes the safety of your crew. When your crew is counting on you to perform, you need to perform. So hunker down and get some rest!
4. Lastly, make sure you keep yourself well hydrated and fed. Dehydration symptoms always sneak up on you, and can escalate quickly.
Remember, in the end it’s only a race. Try to have fun. Have stimulating chats, keep the crew morale high, and most importantly don’t let stress get the best of you. As Dawn would say, “stress makes you stupid”.