Unlike a lot of sports, sailing requires a lot. Probably the reason you don't see many folks just jump into a boat and start winning as a neophite.
Think about it -- you need to have an understanding of aerodynamics, aquadynamics, you have to understand the resistance of the water to the hulls, the waves and wave patterns, understand all about the wind.., oscillating shifts, persistant shifts, land shifts, sea shifts. puffs, lulls.., and then on top of all that you have to know the rules of racing and how to use them to your advantage.., understand tactics and when and how to use them to your advantage -- when to tack, when to jibe, not over overstand laylines.., how to gain advantages at the rounding marks. Oh yes, and navigation in general.
On top of all that, you are also playing a game of chess on the water, and using all the geometry associated with the angles you are using and your relation to the wind.'

Holy cow! Amazing that any of us can sail at all.
Rick