Racing Against Time – What Solo Sailing Practice Can Teach You
Sometimes the best competition isn’t another sailor, but the clock. When the river is quiet and the course is clear, Paul takes out the Wayfarer for solo practice runs—sailing against time rather than other boats. With a stopwatch on the thwart and a steady breeze, every tack, gybe, and reach becomes part of a personal race for improvement.
Why Practise Alone
Solo sailing strips things back to essentials. There’s no crew to balance, no one else to trim the sails or make corrections. It’s just the sailor, the boat, and the conditions. Every second saved rounding a mark or adjusting the jib is feedback for the next run.
What It Teaches
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Consistency – repeating a course builds muscle memory and precision.
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Focus – timing runs keeps attention sharp and decision-making quick.
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Self-reliance – handling everything alone builds confidence for racing with others.
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Awareness – small changes in wind or river flow become lessons in reading the water.
Measuring Progress
By timing each leg of the course, Paul can track whether technique or trim changes actually make a difference. A few seconds gained from a smoother tack or tighter line around a buoy quickly add up over a race distance.
The Takeaway
Solo practice isn’t about winning—it’s about learning. Racing against the clock teaches control, patience, and awareness that translate directly into better teamwork and faster sailing when the real races begin.
And Me
I am in the camera boat trying to get into the right position to get some good photographs.
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