BUSA Northern region Training Weekend.
On the weekend of the 3rd -4th December, 5 teams from 4 universities came together at West Kirby Sailing Club for a joint training weekend supported by the BUSA development fund. The objective of the weekend was to increase the rate of development of teams in the North by combining resources and teams to race each other; which, given the size of the region, is often difficult to achieve. To facilitate each team making the most out of their time at West Kirby, university sailing veteran, Matt Caiger was selected to coach the teams, to ensure the most was made from time on the water.
Northern teams often struggle to meet competition of a similar calibre on a regular basis, which often stunts the amount they can get from their training. The weekend allowed teams to be matched against each other so they could simulate competition that they would only otherwise be able to experience in a few races across a year. There was a focus on nailing manoeuvres particularly in the light breeze on Saturday morning, once the wind filled in, teams were put through their paces running pre-starts and mark traps, we rounded off Sunday afternoon with some good-spirited and competitive races.
The weekend was a great success with all teams saying that they found the weekend constructive and helped their progression heading into the Christmas break. They also said Matt’s keen eye was really helpful to identify and communicate key areas of weakness on each team, so that they could focus on these areas in future trainings.
Many thanks to Matt, West Kirby Sailing Club and to the sailors from Manchester who hosted the teams.