To: MAISA Club Teams, Varsity Team Coaches, & Executive Committee
From: John Griffin (Coach, William & Mary Sailing)
Re: MAISA Club Team Championships
I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer and is looking
forward to a fun and competitive fall sailing season (as well as getting
back to classes and learning!). I am actually in England teaching at
Cambridge University for a few weeks, but cannot wait to see my team again
and get back on the water. So, I have been thinking about all things sailing
and need your input.
With the reorganization of the MAISA schedule, there is a new
focus to the Club Team Championship, as this is now an event to which a club
level team must qualify. This is now a true Championship Regatta and as
always, we are all very appreciative to Roy Wilkins, the Ocean County Team,
and the members of the Toms River Yacht Club for putting this event on in a
location that is central to all of MAISA.
Over the past several years, I have attended this event with the
W&M Team. It has always been a great experience, except for one peculiarity
of this event, the use of the infamous tech dinghy. While I may agree with
the argument that a good sailor can sail well in a bathtub (I have sailed
the Cape Cod Mercury!), this has been a very big point of frustration for me
and many of my sailors. Since we are a small team, with a small budget, we
never get to any of the other central events sailed at Toms River. So, as a
consequence, my sailors (like many other club team sailors) have never
sailed a tech until they head out for the first race of the Club Team
Championships. While this may seem to be a great equalizer, there are those
who have experience in these tricky little boats before coming to this
event, and I personally do not feel a Championship should be about who is
the first to figure them out. If we had one sitting on the docks for
training (like some teams actually do), or made it to Toms River a few times
a year, then I would feel more comfortable with their use in this
championship event. However, the reality is that I usually bring a different
group of sailors each year, who have no experience sailing a tech. To work
so hard to make it to this event and then feel helpless for at least the
first few races as they sort out sailing the techs, makes this less of a
championship in my mind.
Therefore, I am seeking your opinions and advice on whether to
forward a proposal to the MAISA Executive Board which would eliminate the
use of the tech dinghy in this event. Since all of the club level teams sail
420s at some point in their seasons, this would put us all on a level
playing field for this championship. I certainly do not want to be imposing
my opinion on everyone if I am in the minority in this view, so please let
me know your thought before I move this idea forward.
On last and very important thing to consider are the comments of
our host for this event (Roy Wilkins). Below are listed the reasons he gave
me for using the techs. I certainly respect Roy and value his opinions. His
reasons for using the techs are all very valid. In addition, this has always
been a well done event and I truly appreciate the time he and the members of
the Toms River Yacht Club put into the planning and running of this event.
However, I am convinced that although only using the 420s will lower the
number of races sailed, it will create a stronger and more competitive
event. Please let me know your thoughts!
Roy's Responses to my initial inquiry.
"Good Morning Doc,
In response to your e mail, I have mixed emotions about the two fleets. I
agree with you that it is not fair for new sailors to sail in the Techs. My
team always scores poorly when sailing the Techs so it is not an advantage
to me. As a former soccer coach I hated when we had to play on turf coming
off a grass field.
These are the reasons I use Techs:
1. All the teams are on the water at the same time. In November it is always
cold and once a team is warmed up they stay that way till the lunch break
2. Everyone is on the same learning curve. The top sailors figure it out
early and have positive results. The team that has won the clubs the past
three years, Fordham, has the top sailors. Their tech finishes were always
at the top of the scoring.
3. Allows for a long lunch break and some quality coaching time.
4. Time, in November the days are shorter, the two fleets makes the regatta
go quickly.
5. Travel home. I know everyone enjoys finishing the regatta by 1:00 on
Sunday.
6. Toms River Yacht Club. They have social events Sat evening and want the
parking lot cleared by 4:00 on Sat.
7. Having many races in a short time on both days keeps my support staff
happy. As you have experienced I have a large support team who all have
families. Ending early on both days keeps them coming back.
I am a huge fan of fair play. I totally understand where you are coming
from. If the majority of teams vote on not sailing in the techs then they
will be eliminated. No problem. My students would love that. I hope you now
understand why I choose to use Techs.
Best,
Roy Wilkins"
So, please send me your thoughts...
John (Doc) Griffin
Coach, William and Mary Sailing
Director, Program in Neuroscience
Associate Professor of Biology
College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA 23187
757-221-2257
[email protected]
_________________________________________________
maisa mailing list
[email protected]
http://www.collegesailing.org/mailman/?listname=maisa
