First post - be gentle.
Couldn't resist joining. This forum is firing me up!

Been sailing for fun, but I'm not really improving anymore.
Is racing the answer?

Dan.

Dan,

1. If you can sail in a straight line without falling off, racing is for you.

2. If you can gybe once out of every 10, racing is for you.

3. If you like a sausage sizzle, racing is for you.

4. If you can take the piss and have the piss taken, racing is for you.

5. If you want to meet a whole bunch of friendly new faces, racing is for you.

6. If you are quicker than me, you should stay home.

Si

Racing can be a lot of fun and is about the only way to test if you are improving or not when it comes to speed. You could still improve your turns without racing, but why not race anyway.

There is lots of racing available now in Brisbane and Lake Cootharaba.

Just try it and see if it meets your needs.

........... or just GPS. Easy, do it anywhere, does'nt matter if you cant gybe, is heaps of fun and meet lots of people

It makes you concentrate on technique that you would otherwise be less concerned about because you don't need it in general freeride sailing.

Pointing, gibing, board control and strait line speed are all fairly easy when you don't have to make a mark or beat your mates but they become very important when you race so you improve them by default.

I would recommend it highly and have read it again and again in the mags with a lot of the pro's attributing competition (in all disciplines) being the reason they improved to their pro status.

what Scott said is true. Oracle like wisdom from one so young........

Simply - yes.

You will learn more at one or two race meets than a month of sundays of general sailing. Haggar points out the GPS - but it only allows you to analyse yourself at that point in time. You cannot learn anything from experienced sailors via the GPS apart from that they are faster. At least when you line up against them in the same wind on the same water you will know just where you stand and you get the chance to learn from watching and competing against them.

We have a fantastic club in Bayside. Everyone helps each other whether it be in rigging and trimming equipment, to de-rigging your gear when i quote "you crack your bloody head open" (master B Meares aged 4). You will never meet a friendlier bunch of blokes that truly enjoy competing against each other and becoming the best that they can be and wanting to get better.

By the way if you do come and join in there is a bonus for going past the pom

See you on the water.
DM