cammd said...
I disagree with the analysis of rsx racing coming down to who can pump the best.There are examples here and overseas of rsx sailors stepping into formula fleets and doing very well and I suspect those sailors could sailors could step onto a raceboard, slalom or waveboard and do equally well. RSX sailors need a full range of skills, tactics and fitness to be the best, hardly a contest of strength or fitness alone. How did our two top rsx sailors do at the wave sailing nationals, pretty well I think.
I also disagree with racing against pro's as being disheartening. I personally like being in a fleet with an Olympian even if I get flogged. Racing with those better than you lifts your performance and gives you a chance to learn techniques, tips and tuning etc. As for places in races I never expect to beat the top guys or girls but I feel good when I come closer. Also there are other sailors in the fleet closer to my skill level and weekly battles with them keeps things interesting and competitive and gives me a yardstick to compare against.
Dont want to post another negative comment again but cant help feeling this whole thread has been a fishing expedition to knock rsx.
PS I know one of the Aussie ladies who decided to train in Sydney rather than do Sail melbourne and she is one of the most dedicated individuals I know. What is truly sad is someone taking cheap shot at any of our sailors who have the courage and determination to put themselves out there, make huge sacrifices and huge efforts everyday to follow there dream.
Rant over!
Cammd;
If my post read as saying that pumping was the only thing in RSX then I apologise. I did not say it was all about pumping. However, my experience in other classes is that pumping is extremely important in classes where there are no restrictions. Pumping gives you a major increase in speed and pumping is directly related to fitness that you can only earn by genetics and spending hours working hard.
Yes, RSXers have great skills, however if two people have similar tactical and handling skills and one is much younger and has spent many hours training to pump better then that person will get into shifts first, plane faster etc, and the other person will have little chance. In my experience, the gap opens up more between amateurs and full-timers in classes where you can pump.
It's great if you like sailing against Olympians. I used to train regularly with Michael Blackburn (Laser bronze medallist) and loved it but also raced boards (pumping nad non pumping) against many Olympians I find that in many conditions in pumping boards, the Olympians have such a speed advantage that it's hard to learn the same sort of things from them. In Lasers a dedicated amateur can win occasionally against Olympic medalists but I would be very surprised to see that in boards in light winds. It may be possible (I was just getting back into windsurfing when I last regularly raced boards against Olympians and I was far from my best) but I certainly feel from experience that it's harder to be competitive with top-level Olympians in classes that allow pumping.
That's not an anti-RSX thing since my experience stems mainly from IMCOs and Lechners. It's an anti-pumping thing. I might add that I can pump harder than most of those I race against and therefore I know what it's like to be able to simply chase someone down by being fitter.
Experience teaches us that most people don't want to sail against full-timers.
At one time and in one class it was me who had the advantage of being able to concentrate most of my life in sailing, and I felt that it was a bit unfair to competitors with careers and families, in some ways. In other ways it is perfectly reasonable, but from personal experience I feel that this is a matter that can be viewed from each side.
I was taking no cheap shots at any Olympic aspirants, since I know Olympians and Olympic aspirants from several classes (one of our current RSX aspirants had his first go on a windsurfer on one of my boards, I have held races for and helped all of the top 3 T293 kids) and have a huge amount of respect for them. I also know that in classes where the Olympic aspirants cannot pump, they are very often much closer to the amateurs, or behind them.
If I was taking cheap shots at those on the Olympic path I would not have lent some of them gear, helped teach some of them, organised racing for some of them, etc etc etc.
This is not saying that pumping is wrong per se in an Olympic class, but it does make it hard to build big fleets (as at least one, probably both, of our recent Olympians have said).
well said!
