There are many things in a regatta you cannot control: the wind, the shifts, other boats…
Your boat shouldn’t be one of them.
At the recent regatta in AlmerÃa, in strong wind conditions, I saw several boats lose races or have to retire because of relatively small technical problems: water ingress and electronic failures, or boom fittings moving under load.
And I’m certainly not saying this from the outside. It has happened to me many times in the past, mainly because of lack of time.
Preparation and reliability are part of racing.
You can’t eliminate every possible failure, but you can minimise the risk. If you make a change, try a new solution or install a new fitting, test it before an important regatta — ideally in demanding conditions.
The goal is simple: when you get on the water, even in strong winds, your mind should be on the race — not on what might fail.
Don’t let something you can control cost you a race.