Tension in the air?

A guide to dealing with the pressure cooker scenario of racing a two-person dinghy

We have come to accept that psychology in sport, in particular competitive sport, plays as bigger hand in success as the physical side. Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisovich's two 'monsters' have been well documented recently. As the tension and pressure mounted in the final two games at this year's Wimbledon Men's Singles final, Goran's struggle was as much, if not more with his mind, than his aching left shoulder.
Sailing as a two-person team is a different story. Not only do you have to contend with your own monsters you also have to take on somebody else's. Some struggle to maintain the balance. With a third person, one is always able to play the mediator. With two, the ability to get the best out of each other both physically and mentally is a skill all pairs strive for - yet far from all achieve.

Anyone who has competitively sailed a two-man dinghy will understand. This requires commitment, determination, patience and respect. Even at club racing level, the competitive spirits rise, tempers are fraught and the art of communication sometimes ceases to exist - often beyond the end of the race.

Daniel Newman, 24, currently sails a 470 with Graham Vials. The pair have been sailing together for over a year and have started to rack up some commendable results. Newman has been crewing 470s since he was 16, and has some useful insight and tips for what it is like to start sailing a competitive two-man dinghy. He has also worked with sports psychologists over the years to help him get the best out of his sailing.

"To start initially it's hard work," he explains. "When you start to sail a two man dinghy most helms have come from a single handed background. In terms of the 470 very few people will have learnt to trapeze before they are 16. The helm is generally regarded as a bit of a superstar, whether they have come form Oppies or other singlehanded boats, they have already built up a strong level of independence."

The crew in this instance struggles. They not only have to start to learn a new trade, but they also have to come to terms with the psychological impression of sailing with someone who is supposedly better. A hard and fast game of catch up is required as well as the acceptance of a team effort. Newman added: "You need to make sure it's 50:50 all the way for the glory and the mistakes."

Typically most young crews will go through several team mates in a short period of time. Newmann feels this approach is wrong. "Sometimes it's necessary to pick the wrong guy - after all there aren't that many people who would make a perfect match." The requirements are very specific - ultimately you are looking for someone who is the right height and weight as well as a compatible character with a similar level of talent and experience. "People need to look at long term goals and perhaps be a bit more selective. If there are problems you need to work on seeing past them and try to recognise which areas aren't as good and figure out why."

Ian Maynard, sports psychologist to the RYA, has worked with a multitude of athletes across the board, but highlights that sailing as a sport has some very unique aspects: "Sailing is a highly complex and technical sport that requires a high degree of physical and mental agility. Success at sailing is often dependant upon sailors' ability to rapidly analyse a multitude of complicated and often conflicting information. The raw components of sailing, the wind and the waves are different every time you go afloat. Similarly, you never know what your competitors are going to do. Combine this with the fact that going to an important regatta may require the sailors to stay focused for anything up to 10 days, and it becomes easy to see how important being mentally tough really is."

Dave Perry in his book, Winning in One-Designs also comments on the complexities of sailing, as well as trying to understand the bigger picture when competing as a two-person team. In this intense situation Perry states: "All the energy, knowledge and talent in the boat should be directed toward racing as well as possible. When one person (usually the skipper) starts blaming others for things that go wrong, or starts talking to them in a condescending tone of voice, obviously the atmosphere is not going to be pleasant, and as a result the boat's finishing position will be poor.

There are different strategies that can be used to try and overcome anxiety and tension while racing. The mistakes or incidents that cause the red mist to descend over the skipper' s eyes are often not as fatal as the mist itself. The skill comes in acknowledging the mistake, but keeping your head out of the boat to continue sailing. Many sailors use a number of techniques to help this along - one is to have a number of words not necessarily sailing terms, that when said breaks the chain of descent to be able to carry on and start again. This way instead of thinking "Oh God - should I say sorry?" or "You *&@£*&**, I told you five minutes ago what I needed you to do," the tension is scrapped and both minds get back to the matter in hand.

Newman and other elite sailors are sure that talking to a sports psychologist can help to improve your game. "It's really important who you talk to. Some of the people I went to made me feel that I was back at school, and that's not what I needed at all. You should try and choose someone who you would go out and spend an evening with, a person you are relaxed with and feel comfortable to talk to. Don't just buy a book you need to get support in the right way. It's important to have belief in what you are doing and why you are doing it. Most importantly you should question everything and make it relevant to you."

Maynard concludes: "Sports psychologists can only provide you with a set of tools with which you must learn to help yourself. They cannot promise improved performance, but they can promise improved awareness of you and others, and it is this improved awareness which usually leads to more consistent and hence better performance."