Win With Style. Lose With Style.
Originally published in 2013, this message from Clemmie Everett provides a reminder that how we play the game impacts the health of the game:
If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it really make a sound? I don't know, but if a sailor can win a race but there's no one to race against, can the sailor really win? Pretty clearly, the answer is no.
Sailing is a great lifelong sport that encompasses a range of ages, abilities, and degrees of seriousness, and one aspect that's vital to keeping the sport going is sportsmanship. It's often said that sailing is a self-policing sport and that for this reason, sportsmanship is particularly important.
However, it only takes one incident with one boat abusing the system to make a race less enjoyable for everyone else. Following the rules is certainly a significant piece of sportsmanship, but being a good sport in sailing goes beyond rules and the racecourse.
It's one thing to think about how to improve your boathandling or tactics, but thinking about how to be a better sport is a more difficult - and more important - task. It's relatively easy to think of ways to be a bad sport, but are there concrete steps to being a better sport? There's certainly no right answer, but here are a few things to keep in mind as you approach your next race or regatta.
1. Show your appreciation. Thanking the race committee, regatta organizers, your competitors, and any friends, family and coaches who helped get you to the starting line goes a long way to making sure that a positive racing atmosphere will stay that way.
2. Be prepared. If you have the parts, clothing, and information that you need for your time on the water, you'll be less tempted to grab a part from a boat in the parking lot or "borrow" the spray top you find in the bathroom. You'll also be less likely to feel like you've suffered for an "unfair" reason (like your traveler snapping or not knowing the starting sequence) and take out your frustration on others. - Read on