SA Footy

As a former sailor and trailer-sailer owner with five Milang-Goolwa's under my belt I feel I can comment slightly on this topic. The skill to get your yacht pointing high enough into the wind to keep going and not high enough to stall is really difficult and takes years of practice. To be able to tack (get the sails to cross from one side of the deck to the other) without losing boatspeed is another skill. To be able to work out the angle between your boat, opposition boats and the mark you are aiming for has a degree of difficulty of 9/10. To be able to read the wind - spot it rippling across the water surface 50 or 100 metres way - and direct your boat into it to take advantage of the lift is another skill. Stopping these dinghys from capsizing is a nightmare while you are concentrating on all these other elements. So Usain Bolt lines up on a line and jets off to another line in under 10 seconds - big deal. Some people jump into a pool and swim up and back a few times. Good. Others jump over a stick, throw a metal ball, play tennis or basketball or beach volley ball FFS. Rowers sit there and paddle away in a straight line - no strategy. Take it from me that sailing is an art form that has 100s of things that can go wrong.

Sky Pilot wrote:As a former sailor and trailer-sailer owner with five Milang-Goolwa's under my belt I feel I can comment slightly on this topic. The skill to get your yacht pointing high enough into the wind to keep going and not high enough to stall is really difficult and takes years of practice. To be able to tack (get the sails to cross from one side of the deck to the other) without losing boatspeed is another skill. To be able to work out the angle between your boat, opposition boats and the mark you are aiming for has a degree of difficulty of 9/10. To be able to read the wind - spot it rippling across the water surface 50 or 100 metres way - and direct your boat into it to take advantage of the lift is another skill. Stopping these dinghys from capsizing is a nightmare while you are concentrating on all these other elements. So Usain Bolt lines up on a line and jets off to another line in under 10 seconds - big deal. Some people jump into a pool and swim up and back a few times. Good. Others jump over a stick, throw a metal ball, play tennis or basketball or beach volley ball FFS. Rowers sit there and paddle away in a straight line - no strategy. Take it from me that sailing is an art form that has 100s of things that can go wrong.

Given all this can you explain how Jim's work colleague said that Slingsby was a monty? It seems there are so many external factors that no one could be a monty...I assume they all use identical boats?

I agree by the way...it's like those who think that motor racing / F1 is easy if you're crazy. Yet, name me another sport where participants maintain a heart rate of +180bpm for 2 hours straight and use muscles (back and neck) that conventional gym equipment can't condition, whilst being one false move away from serious injury and/or death.

There was a Grand Prix of the Olympics if I recall...in Barcelona, 1992.. does that mean Mark Webber won a GOLD at Silverstone this year?

purch wrote:

Sky Pilot wrote:As a former sailor and trailer-sailer owner with five Milang-Goolwa's under my belt I feel I can comment slightly on this topic. The skill to get your yacht pointing high enough into the wind to keep going and not high enough to stall is really difficult and takes years of practice. To be able to tack (get the sails to cross from one side of the deck to the other) without losing boatspeed is another skill. To be able to work out the angle between your boat, opposition boats and the mark you are aiming for has a degree of difficulty of 9/10. To be able to read the wind - spot it rippling across the water surface 50 or 100 metres way - and direct your boat into it to take advantage of the lift is another skill. Stopping these dinghys from capsizing is a nightmare while you are concentrating on all these other elements. So Usain Bolt lines up on a line and jets off to another line in under 10 seconds - big deal. Some people jump into a pool and swim up and back a few times. Good. Others jump over a stick, throw a metal ball, play tennis or basketball or beach volley ball FFS. Rowers sit there and paddle away in a straight line - no strategy. Take it from me that sailing is an art form that has 100s of things that can go wrong.

Given all this can you explain how Jim's work colleague said that Slingsby was a monty? It seems there are so many external factors that no one could be a monty...I assume they all use identical boats?

I agree by the way...it's like those who think that motor racing / F1 is easy if you're crazy. Yet, name me another sport where participants maintain a heart rate of +180bpm for 2 hours straight and use muscles (back and neck) that conventional gym equipment can't condition, whilst being one false move away from serious injury and/or death.

There was a Grand Prix of the Olympics if I recall...in Barcelona, 1992.. does that mean Mark Webber won a GOLD at Silverstone this year?

Yeah the boats are identical to the last mm and gm. Same as F1 where scrutineers check everything pre-race.

Sky Pilot wrote:As a former sailor and trailer-sailer owner with five Milang-Goolwa's under my belt I feel I can comment slightly on this topic. The skill to get your yacht pointing high enough into the wind to keep going and not high enough to stall is really difficult and takes years of practice. To be able to tack (get the sails to cross from one side of the deck to the other) without losing boatspeed is another skill. To be able to work out the angle between your boat, opposition boats and the mark you are aiming for has a degree of difficulty of 9/10. To be able to read the wind - spot it rippling across the water surface 50 or 100 metres way - and direct your boat into it to take advantage of the lift is another skill. Stopping these dinghys from capsizing is a nightmare while you are concentrating on all these other elements. So Usain Bolt lines up on a line and jets off to another line in under 10 seconds - big deal. Some people jump into a pool and swim up and back a few times. Good. Others jump over a stick, throw a metal ball, play tennis or basketball or beach volley ball FFS. Rowers sit there and paddle away in a straight line - no strategy. Take it from me that sailing is an art form that has 100s of things that can go wrong.

Great that you love sailing and no doubt there's more to it than meets the eye. Like most things. Just a shame that to make your point you slagged off on a bunch of other events, simultaneously demonstrating also your own lack of knowledge about other sports, which apparently you don't like about sailing! No strategy in rowing? Maybe not to your mind but you can't sprint for 6 minutes, they have to figure out how hard to go and when to put in extra effort. There's also a lot more to rowing than just pulling on the oars. If you want people to respect your sport, how about showing some respect for other sports?

Grahaml wrote:

Sky Pilot wrote:As a former sailor and trailer-sailer owner with five Milang-Goolwa's under my belt I feel I can comment slightly on this topic. The skill to get your yacht pointing high enough into the wind to keep going and not high enough to stall is really difficult and takes years of practice. To be able to tack (get the sails to cross from one side of the deck to the other) without losing boatspeed is another skill. To be able to work out the angle between your boat, opposition boats and the mark you are aiming for has a degree of difficulty of 9/10. To be able to read the wind - spot it rippling across the water surface 50 or 100 metres way - and direct your boat into it to take advantage of the lift is another skill. Stopping these dinghys from capsizing is a nightmare while you are concentrating on all these other elements. So Usain Bolt lines up on a line and jets off to another line in under 10 seconds - big deal. Some people jump into a pool and swim up and back a few times. Good. Others jump over a stick, throw a metal ball, play tennis or basketball or beach volley ball FFS. Rowers sit there and paddle away in a straight line - no strategy. Take it from me that sailing is an art form that has 100s of things that can go wrong.

Great that you love sailing and no doubt there's more to it than meets the eye. Like most things. Just a shame that to make your point you slagged off on a bunch of other events, simultaneously demonstrating also your own lack of knowledge about other sports, which apparently you don't like about sailing! No strategy in rowing? Maybe not to your mind but you can't sprint for 6 minutes, they have to figure out how hard to go and when to put in extra effort. There's also a lot more to rowing than just pulling on the oars. If you want people to respect your sport, how about showing some respect for other sports?

What a ridiculous post! I never slagged off any other sport. Chill out bloke.

Australia guaranteed a silver at worst in the Mens 470.
Just need to stay within a few places of the Poms to win Gold

Sky Pilot wrote:

Grahaml wrote:

Sky Pilot wrote:As a former sailor and trailer-sailer owner with five Milang-Goolwa's under my belt I feel I can comment slightly on this topic. The skill to get your yacht pointing high enough into the wind to keep going and not high enough to stall is really difficult and takes years of practice. To be able to tack (get the sails to cross from one side of the deck to the other) without losing boatspeed is another skill. To be able to work out the angle between your boat, opposition boats and the mark you are aiming for has a degree of difficulty of 9/10. To be able to read the wind - spot it rippling across the water surface 50 or 100 metres way - and direct your boat into it to take advantage of the lift is another skill. Stopping these dinghys from capsizing is a nightmare while you are concentrating on all these other elements. So Usain Bolt lines up on a line and jets off to another line in under 10 seconds - big deal. Some people jump into a pool and swim up and back a few times. Good. Others jump over a stick, throw a metal ball, play tennis or basketball or beach volley ball FFS. Rowers sit there and paddle away in a straight line - no strategy. Take it from me that sailing is an art form that has 100s of things that can go wrong.

Great that you love sailing and no doubt there's more to it than meets the eye. Like most things. Just a shame that to make your point you slagged off on a bunch of other events, simultaneously demonstrating also your own lack of knowledge about other sports, which apparently you don't like about sailing! No strategy in rowing? Maybe not to your mind but you can't sprint for 6 minutes, they have to figure out how hard to go and when to put in extra effort. There's also a lot more to rowing than just pulling on the oars. If you want people to respect your sport, how about showing some respect for other sports?

What a ridiculous post! I never slagged off any other sport. Chill out bloke.

Yes you did - rowing! Open your eyes and read what you posted!

Okay you win

Aussie Mens 470 class claim Gold.
Now 3 Golds in the sailing

Womens Elliott class through to Final against Spain.
Fantastic effort by the Sailing team

Jim05 wrote:Aussie Mens 470 class claim Gold.
Now 3 Golds in the sailing

Silver is not the new gold.

Sailing is the new swimming.

Pseudo wrote:

Jim05 wrote:Aussie Mens 470 class claim Gold.
Now 3 Golds in the sailing

Silver is not the new gold.

Sailing is the new swimming.

Great to see the Sailors show the whingeing swimmers how to do it.
Have noticed in all the interviews the Sailors all seem a very humble and well spoken bunch.
Would be a great finish if the Womens Elliott beat the Spanish to win Gold

Australia lose the first race in the Elliott class

1-1 now ...

Led from start to finish that race

Did any of the lasses toss a sponge overboard mid-race?

Faark, Aussie woman overboard in race 3 ...

Aussie chick has decided to go for a swim!!!
Spain will win Race 3

And one of the Aussie girls goes overboard

could have been nasty if we had t-boned the spanish boat!