Ten ways to promote good sportsmanship
Here are some practical ideas on how you and your teammates can be good sports and encourage a more positive atmosphere in your fleet, club and class.
1. Abide by and enforce the rules. It’s clear that winning is a major objective of sailboat racing. Unfortunately, some sailors are tempted to overstep the boundaries of the rules to attain this end. That’s why it’s important to commit ourselves to sailing within the rules. When you play fair and square, you will likely win just as many races, and the respect you get from your competitors will be much greater.
Another part of being a good sport is taking responsibility for enforcing the rules. We all want to be nice guys who don’t make waves. But our sport is a self-policing one. If we don’t enforce the rules out there, no one will. I’m not suggesting you become a sea lawyer – but encouraging rule compliance will make the game better for everyone.
2. Share your knowledge.
Almost every sailor wants to learn more about the sport, so if you can help your competitors understand how to sail their boats faster and smarter, they’ll find the sport more rewarding and you will both ‘win’! You don’t have to be a rock star in order to help other people become better sailors. No matter what your skill level, there is always something you can share with other sailors. In fact, you may be more effective at this if you’re not the class champion because you’ll be less intimidating.
3. Don’t ever yell at people (like your crew or competitors). This doesn’t mean you can’t raise your voice if that is essential for communication. On a windy day, for example, you may have to shout pretty loud to be heard by other boats or even your own teammates. But it’s not necessary to make your hail with a tone that is angry, condescending or intimidating. That just increases the tension level and makes the sport less fun for everyone. No one likes, or respects, a yeller.
4. Thank the race committee and volunteers. This may seem like a very obvious thing to do, but if we took a survey of all the race officers around the world, I bet a majority would say they feel underappreciated by the sailors. Volunteer race committees, regatta helpers and juries are the backbone of racing, and it’s almost impossible to give these hard-working people too much credit.
I recommend something more than a token ‘thank-you’ at the awards ceremony. Talk to them personally during the regatta and offer words of support and appreciation. Get on the RC’s radio channel after the last race of the day and say thanks. You may not agree with every action of a race committee or decision of the jury, but you can always thank the members for volunteering their time and working hard.
Another good idea is writing a letter of thanks to the membership of the club where you’ve just sailed a regatta. Thank them for a good time and for all the sacrifices they made to help insure that your regatta was a success. Send your letter to the regatta chairperson (with a note of thanks to him or her as well), and say you wouldn’t mind if your letter was posted on their bulletin board or in their newsletter.
5. Recognize good sportsmanship. I’m not a huge fan of giving prizes for sportsmanship because I think the motivation for this kind of behavior must be internal, not external. However, I do think that recognizing acts of good sportsmanship is a great way of creating a positive climate. This can be done at regattas, or by one-design classes and sailing clubs. One idea is to create an award for sportsmanlike behavior that is voted on by competitors at a regatta or awarded by members of a club or fleet at the end of the year. But impromptu recognition can often be just as effective, or even more meaningful. A simple mention of sportsmanlike behavior at an awards ceremony or at your fleet’s final banquet is usually more than enough recognition for the person involved, and it works well to get everyone thinking about this topic in the future.
When you are recognizing good sportsmanship, look for ethical behavior that includes qualities such as respect, fairness and integrity. Be careful of rewarding behavior that is simply required by the rules. It is nice, for example, when a sailor takes a Two-Turns Penalty rather than ignoring an obvious foul, but this behavior should be the norm so you may not want to treat it as something exceptional.
6. Congratulate your competitors when they make a good move or sail a great race. Nothing feels better than being acknowledged and appreciated by fellow sailors. But don’t just talk to the first few boats – they will get congratulations from many other sailors and they aren’t usually the ones who need encouragement. You’ll have a much bigger impact if you focus on the middle or back of the fleet. Try to notice specific things that some of those sailors did well, and appreciate them. For example, you could commend a team for getting one of the best starts in the fleet even if that didn’t translate into a great finish.
7. Give other boats the benefit of the doubt.
One of the best things you can do while racing is to treat your
competitors as you would like to have them treat you. For example, let’s say you’re approaching the jibe mark and a boat that’s overtaking you from behind is pressing for an inside overlap. When you’re not sure if they got an overlap in time or not, don’t automatically yell ‘No room.’ Instead, give the other boat a break by saying ‘Go ahead,’ and then provide mark-room. This may cost you a boat or two in that race, but it’s an admirable action that will earn you respect as a good sport in the long run.
8. Be a good role model. One of the best ways for young or less experienced sailors to learn about what’s sportsmanlike in sailboat racing is from experienced sailors they respect – like you! People who are new to the sport tend to emulate the behavior of those who have been racing longer. If they see boats breaking rules and getting away with it, they will likely act the same way. So set a good example!
9. Commend your teammates.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for skippers to be critical of their crews while racing. But this is neither sportsmanlike nor conducive to winning races. So think positively. If you’re a skipper, look for ways to compliment your crew: ‘Hey, that was a great roll tack.’ ‘Nice job with the pole.’ ‘Good call on the layline.” If you’re a crew, find ways to appreciate your skipper: ‘Great start!’ ‘Good job steering the waves.’ And so on. This type of encouragement will help everyone feel more confident and better about themselves.
It also makes it easier to handle a little constructive criticism once in a while. This will improve not only your performance on the race course, but your relationship after the race as well.
10. Don’t be a ‘sore loser.’ No one respects or likes a competitor who is always bitter when they don’t finish first. You can’t win every race, so focus on the other reasons why you compete. Try to give each race your very best effort and learn as much as you can – this way you will be a ‘winner’ no matter how you cross the finish line. A big part of being a good sport is respecting your competitors, especially when they win – but that’s difficult for a bad loser.
Sailing is a great sport because it puts the question of sportsmanship into the sailors’ hands. If you treat other people with respect on the race course, they’ll treat you the same way. And that will make the sport much more fun and rewarding. *
— Excerpted from Speed & Smarts #133 Dave Dellenbaugh
Sportsmanship and fair play are valued attributes that are expected to come naturally from within each sailor.
Harken- Saturday, April 28th
We want you!
Sailors — if you are most comfortable with the rules, please volunteer to be a leader at your club to assist with the ILYA presentation. This is brought to you by UK sails who has generously given us rights to use their graphics which are exceptional. The presentation will come with presenter’s notes. You may choose to go at your own pace at your club. To volunteer, contact Candace Porter to be listed as a resource for your club.ORClubs – Request the ILYA send someone to present at your club. Then the ILYA will leave the presentation behind for your club to review as you see fit. Contact Candace Porter to set up a time your club might like to have a visit.
