RS400 Go Faster Training Day at Notts County Sailing Club
by Nicola Willars 31 Jul 02:34 PDT
RS400 Go Faster Training Day at Notts County © NCSC
The Notts County RS400 fleet enjoyed a fantastic Go Faster training day this month with Sam Knight and Chris Bownes.
The day kicked off ashore with tips on getting a great start. Sam and Chris talked through the roles of helm and crew in those all-important first few minutes, covering everything from spotting the favoured end of the line to finding clean air. Sam also shared some great boat-handling exercises for practising control in tight spaces.
There was plenty of discussion and questions before everyone headed afloat. Sam coached from the RIB (thanks to Jake for driving), while Chris jumped in to crew for Mo, who was about to race a 400 properly for the first time. Safe to say Mo learned a lot that day.
After a much-appreciated pasta lunch from Keith and Carol's Catering, the fleet gathered for a video debrief. Using examples from the 470 fleet and clips from Sam's YouTube channel, the sailors looked at the importance of making the right height-versus-speed decisions.
Back on the water, the afternoon included gate-start practice and racing. The author was lucky enough to crew for Sam and pick up some extra coaching, while Chris crewed in a borrowed boat whose helm has since bought a 400 of their own. Extra brownie points for Chris there!
For anyone wondering whether it's worth organising a training day with the RS Class Association, the answer is definitely yes. Sailors of all abilities, from newly qualified RYA Level 2 sailors to experienced circuit racers, came away with new skills and ideas to work on.
A huge thank you to Sam, Chris and the RS Class Association for delivering such an informative, energetic and enjoyable day.