Youth Olympic bronze medallist Finn Hawkins gives us his top racing tips!
Finn Hawkins staying tight to the mark.
1. Do the preparation
You’ve probably heard it all before, but it is so important. Firstly make sure you’ve checked all your equipment before you go to an event so nothing is likely to break. Read the notice of race and the sailing instructions so you know the courses that you will be racing around and any additional information you will need when racing such as the first possible start times and class flags. Lastly, check the forecast so you know what you might be faced with - this will help you decide what wetsuits and clothing to bring and any extra equipment you might have to take.
2. Launch as soon as you can
It is very important to be on the water as soon as possible so you can get some valuable things done to improve your racing. Not only will this will ensure you will not miss your race but also it allows you to sail a fraction of the course where you can gather information such as where the buoys are laid and to see if that is going to affect your race in anyway. It is very hard to set a perfect course, so more often than not there will be buoys out of position and this will affect which tack you are likely to sail on first. It will also let you see what course you will be sailing and get some pre-starts done on the start line without it being too busy.
3. Remember your training
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