"Your Majesty, there is no second."
In the AC or Olympics, if you don't win, you're not a success. Period. Harsh? Sure, but it's reality. Top 10 is not winning, it's a list of the top nine teams that lost.
I have no problem with the splitting (unless it's complete desperation), but if not well planned, results in poorly executed (and extra) maneuvers, which is a horrific idea in fast boats that turn slowly.
Am I a world-class sailor? No. But I'm friends with more than a few, and have seen first-hand that extra tacks or gybes rarely work out on cats, and leebowing is a concept that is a complete joke on a catamaran. Anyone who tries it (leebowing) should be immediately removed from the course, along with the tactician and anyone else responsible for the decision, and never allowed back on a cat. Ever.
Mike
I don't think any top sailor I know really has that attitude. In fact if you do have that attitude what does it say about all of us. Everyone is a failure by that standard.
The point is that you don't get 6th or 7th in a world title in a significant class like As or Moths by being crappy at tactics and making lots of mistakes. It can also be said that foiling cats are tacking faster than seahuggers and that it could be "old school seahugger tactics" to be too concerned about an extra tack.
We could either learn from these experts or sit back and say that they are getting it all wrong and that we are much smarter than they are. Surely the former is more logical and useful.
