John,
With all due respect, I think your question is flawed. Your complaint is that only one team has Techs and that sailors shouldn't have to race a boat that they sail infrequently at a championship. However, this issue occurs all the time in college sailing. There are 420 events that "FJ teams" sail in -- the guys who sail 420s all the time may be faster, and vice versa. In NEISA, there are events held in (gasp!) Larks, including certain national championships when it is NEISA's turn to host, which some people think is a disadvantage to other teams (especially out of district ones). And of course, there are Techs. I wrote an article for Sailing World 18 months ago about the history of collegiate dinghies. Only in the past 25-30 years has college sailing become relatively "standarized" with FJs and 420s being the dominant boats. When you look back at college sailing in the 1950s and 1960s, it was common to sail a different type of boat at every single regatta you attended. In fact, the only constant back in those days was largely...Techs! When I interviewed former sailors who competed in that era, many thought that you had to be a "better sailor" to be able to hop into any boat and make it go, and remembered those days fondly since there were fewer "specialists." You can make the same argument for choice of venue. Is it fair to host a championship on a lake when many teams in the district are used to open water? Is it fair to host a championship on a site with notoriously fickle breezes or tricky currents where local knowledge pays huge dividends? There are no shortage of such sites in MAISA or NEISA where teams that sail on that body of water would seemingly have a huge advantage. The issue of wanting your district championship to be in the type of boat or similar site that the national championship will be in, is another story entirely. Those teams are trying to qualify for the next event, and some districts have made a choice that they want the most qualified team to advance and represent their district well at the nationals, so they want to be as prepared as possible. There is no such "next event" past club champs, and whether there should be is a topic for an entirely different thread. For at least the past 4 years, the club champs haven't been won by the host school, the one school that sail Techs regularly in MAISA. Thus, all sailors are equally "disadvantaged" in the Techs. If anything, having a regatta in a "strange boat" should be considered a huge equalizer for club teams, who may not have the luxury of having both 420s and FJs to practice in while on a tight budget -- everyone is on equally unfamiliar ground. Fordham has won the club champs 3 of the past 4 years. Is it just because they have fast sailors? No. They had fast sailors before who didn't win that regatta, but I can tell you from when I used to help out with their team that their sailors asked others for Tech tips before driving to Jersey, took notes on how to sail Techs afterwards and passed the lessons learned down to the younger sailors on the team, who in recent years have figured it out. And as a former coach, I think that's more productive a process. My two cents. Sincerely, Peter Beardsley > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: "John D. Griffin" <[email protected]> > To: "'John D. Griffin'" <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> > Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:43:19 -0400 > Subject: RE: [MAISA] Call for Opinion...MAISA Club Team Championships > All, > > > > Since I received only a few opinions on this, I thought I would resend my > original email and once again ask for additional opinions, especially from > the Club Teams, who are directly affected by this issue. > > > > Basically, I am asking if our teams which qualify for the Club > Championship, > should have to sail the techs, which many sailors would never sails until > they show up at this event. > > > > While I agree that good sailors can sail anything, why should they have to > learn on the spot...at a Championship event? > > > > There are many practical reasons from the perspective of someone running > this event, but I feel it does come at a compromise. As a coach, I would > like to prepare my team. They must qualify in either 420s or FJs. Most, > will > have never even seen a tech. > > > > While you may say this should not matter, we (MAISA coaches and Execs) just > had an on-line discussion about where to hold our regional qualifier for > women's nationals. The discussion was specifically centered around needing > a > site that had 420s....because....that is what nationals will sail. > > > > So, why should we not have the same standard for the Club Team > Championship? > > > > > Yes, it will mean fewer races and some sailors on shore at times (I do my > best coaching when my one team is sailing and the other can watch with me), > but I feel it is more representative of the skill needed to get there by > these young club level teams and sailors. Why make them work so hard to get > there, then frustrate them with a new vessel? > > > > Well, I would like some additional thoughts and opinions before I bring > anything formal to the Exec Committee. > > > > Please read and send me some thoughtful responses! I hope you are all off > to > a great start to the semester and season...and see you all soon! > > > > 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] > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John D. Griffin > Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 3:42 AM > To: [email protected] > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: [MAISA] Call for Opinion...MAISA Club Team Championships > > > > > > > > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > maisa mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.collegesailing.org/mailman/?listname=maisa > > _________________________________________________ maisa mailing list [email protected] http://www.collegesailing.org/mailman/?listname=maisa
