Friday 31 October 2014

Shifting Sailor Focus to Teach Steering


Focus is so important throughout sailing, I think it should be at the front of the instructor's mind starting at the point of first contact with the sailor.  I really like directing using focus as a tool to help teaching steering.

2 comments:

  1. Totally agree.
    I never teach newbies what to do with a tiller (not how to hold, but how to turn).
    "Aim to the point you want to go and correct yourself if needed. It's like steering a bike - just keep your eyes on the road, and you'll figure it out."
    Learning by doing is faster then learning by thinking-and-doing because thinking (logically) is a very slow process, and to have time for thinking most of the skills should be already well developed and most tasks performed automatically.
    Actually, after just one full day on water Intro class students steer straight line and turn in a chosen direction quite consistently and thus can think of sail trim for example, or how to dock properly, and so on.

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  2. Well put, thanks for the post Eugene. If you (or anyone else) would like to put a whole post of your own together, preferably with at least one picture, but not necessarily, and then email it to me either at my email address or at albertasailingcoach@gmail.com which I will check once in a long while, I will post it as a new post under your name if you like, or anonymously. Eventually I hope to hand over the administration of the site to an Alberta Sailing employee.

    Thanks,
    Ian

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