Who says you are too old to go sailing

First of all if you like this post and the web site why not pop over to BUYMEACOFFEE.com and buy a coffee or three. Whilst I have covered the subscription fees for the next three years, the renewal will soon be upon me so any contribution will be greatefully received. There is also more I can do with the web site with the production of videos.

I have just seen the results of the Star Class European championships and delighted to see Paul Cayard who is 66 as is his crew who celebrated the same birthday during the week, finish forth overall in the regatta. Now, I will accept he is one of the worlds outstanding sailors and probably has exceptional fitness levels but it goes to show its possible to sail in top competition at any age.

Had a close look at the Alioth (V4) with Juan foils. The package looks really nice so I anticipate the boat to be very competitive and with the fin back slightly should solve the balance problems I experienced with my V3.

Last weekend I was PRO for the 10r Nationals. These are stunning boats and untroubled by the Datchet chop. We had ideal conditions all weekend and it was a privilege to see these boats competitively raced. What a shame there are not more boats out on the water.

As for me, the head wounds are healing nicely. I will not make you squeamish with a picture however I enclose a fathers day card from my daughter showing the incisions.

There were two parallel incisions, 35 and 45mm long, with one in the centre of the forehead and one 40mm to the right. Oddly the longer incision was for what looked like the smaller spot of damage, but you never know what sits under the skin. My daughter gave a very helpful comment saying I should have a diagonal incision so I have a permanent N on my forehead. Not sure that would be such a good idea. I can imagine the nicknames already.

It is amazing how quick a stitched wound cleans up and starts to heal and with a healthy dose of antibiotics both orally and spread on the wound, keeps any infection at bay. The cover was taken off the wound after 24 hours so I am walking around looking a bit like Frankinstein's monster. You would be surprised how every movement is reflected in the forehead muscles. The advice I was given was to rest and not exercise or lower the head. This I have done for 4 days and that has accelerated the repair.

The op has put back the launch of blue Proteus by a few days as the wound heals but it is all ready to go and should be on the water today. The only thing to check is that the correctors are in the right position.

My training routine is set and if anyone interested, is set out below. I have a lot of catching up to do after an extended break of a month and a half.

Now if anyone wants to do two or more boat tuning during the week at Datchet or elsewhere let me know.

IOM Practice Day Checklist

Pre-Sailing:

• Check battery levels (Tx & Rx fully charged)

• Inspect rigging (shrouds, forestay, sheets, etc.)

• Confirm correct sail setup (A rig, B rig, etc.)

• Quick hull/rudder/keel cleaning

• Set transmitter trims to neutral

• Wind check: note direction, strength, gustiness

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Warm-up:

• 5–10 minutes upwind sailing

• 5–10 minutes downwind sailing

• Adjust sail trim if needed (especially camber & twist)

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Drills:

• Start Practice

• Time runs to the line

• Low-speed accelerations

• Tacking Drill

• Quick, smooth tacks

• Minimal speed loss

• Mark Roundings

• Tight, efficient turns

• Full power out of rounding

• Downwind Gybing

• Smooth gybes

• Maintain speed through maneuvers

• Mini Races (if possible)

• Good start

• Hit shifts

• Smart mark approaches

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Post-Sailing:

• Write down today’s tuning settings

• Note what worked / didn’t work

• Rinse boat (especially after saltwater)

• Charge batteries

• Plan next practice focus

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Today’s Focus:

(e.g., “starts,” “gybing control,” “light air tuning”)

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Notes:

(good/bad, lessons learned, gear tweaks needed)

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Tip:

Keep a little notebook (or use your phone) to log tuning settings and practice observations. You’ll build a personal tuning guide over time that makes race days way easier.

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Perfect! Here’s a sample IOM practice session you can use — it’s about 2 hours, but you can stretch or shorten it depending on how much time you’ve got:

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Sample IOM Training Session

Warm-up (15 min)

• Sail upwind and downwind casually.

• Focus on feeling the boat — is the balance right? Helm neutral?

• Make quick sail trim adjustments if needed.

• Do a few relaxed tacks and gybes to get your reactions tuned up.

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Drill 1: Starts and Acceleration (20 min)

• Set a small starting line (or imagine one).

• Practice 0.5 minute “mini starts” — time it so you hit the line at full speed.

• Mix it up: practice low-speed builds and fast-paced punchy starts.

• Key focus: positioning, timing, acceleration.

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Drill 2: Short Upwind Course with Whistle Tacks (20 min)

• Sail a 30–40 meter upwind course between two buoys.

• Have someone blow a whistle (or self-time every 10–15 seconds).

• Tack on command without losing boat speed.

• Key focus: speed through tacks and quick trimming after tacking.

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Drill 3: Mark Rounding Practice (20 min)

• Set one buoy to use as a leeward or windward mark.

• Sail in, round the mark tight, and exit on a good course.

• Do 10–15 roundings — focus on tight radius, no contact, full power out of turn.

• Alternate between windward and leeward rounding.

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Drill 4: Downwind Gybing Challenge (20 min)

• Set two downwind buoys about 50–70 meters apart.

• Sail back and forth, gybing on command or every few boat lengths.

• Focus on smooth rudder movement and keeping the boat powered up during the gybe.

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Mini-Races (20 min)

• If you have a buddy or two, set up a quick windward-leeward course.

• Do 2-3 short sprint races (5–7 minutes each).

• Focus on putting all the skills together: start, boat speed, tacks, laylines, roundings.

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Cool-down / Tuning Check (10 min)

• Relaxed sailing upwind/downwind.

• Fine-tune rig tension, sail shape for conditions.

• Note anything you want to adjust for next time.

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Session Goals Summary:

• Fast starts.

• Smooth and fast tacks/gybes.

• Tight, efficient mark roundings.

• Keeping the boat moving fast all the time.