Weymouth sailor and coach John Emmett blogs for the Dorset Echo
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Jon Emmett »
Boat developments and Crew fuel
Posted on 10:16pm Monday 7th March 2011
I have just returned from the Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace which really marks the start of the UK sailing season and is a great place to see all the latest developments. I was on the Laser performance stand supporting the UKLA in my role as Training Officer. It was great to be able to show people the new Training Handbook which along with the training DVD every Laser Class Association Member will soon receive.
Jon Emmett »
Goals
Posted on 9:04pm Tuesday 1st March 2011
In order to be successful in life (not just in sailing) you need to set goals. After all, failing to plan is planning to fail. Goal setting will be a key part of my coaching when I work with Olympic medallist and former World Champion Lijia Xu and the Chinese Radial team for the Olympic test event at WPNSA in July.
Jon Emmett »
Rigging
Posted on 6:44pm Tuesday 1st February 2011
I have recently been working with professional rigger Gareth Griffiths (www.thenottinghillriggingco.com) on updating the Laser rope systems. Many of the current systems in common use are woefully inadequate, where use of the wrong products is likely to lead to premature wear and breakage and prove expensive. For example, in the case of Vectran (which is UV sensitive) and Kevlar (which dislikes going round corners), Dynema would be a better product.
Jon Emmett »
New Year in Cornwall
Posted on 5:24pm Saturday 22nd January 2011
Well I had a super holiday… It was great that both Burn Park and the Clowance Estate had health centres which did massage. So I actually came back in better shape than when I went! I even finally managed to get back on my bike once, but I took it very easy, just a very short ride in the daylight when the weather was good!. The highlights of the holiday included the Eden project and looking all over Tintagal Castle for King Arthur!
Jon Emmett »
Be Your Own Sailing Coach is now on facebook
Posted on 9:05am Saturday 8th January 2011
Why not join nearly 4000 facebook fans of Be Your Own Sailing Coach?
Jon Emmett »
Christmas in Croatia
Posted on 2:22pm Friday 31st December 2010
The Europa Cup series has always been a stable part of my campaign for the Worlds. As I spend a lot of my time coaching, I take the opportunity to race wherever and whenever I can. The Europa Cup series is cheap to do with a good level of competition at venues all around Europe.
Jon Emmett »
Sailing fitness - part three
Posted on 9:34am Monday 20th December 2010
Nearly four months has passed since I broke my elbow. The actual bone was appropriately named Radial head. The nurse said I did a really good job of it (breaking the thickest part of the thickest bone in the forearm) but that was not really much comfort at the time! I wonder if the slow rate of recovery is related to the fact I tried to get through the pain and doing a full day’s coaching before I realised how just how bad the injury was (after all when I first started 49er sailing I seemed to be routinely thrown against the mast at 20 miles an hour so I am used to a bit of pain!)
Jon Emmett »
Sailing fitness - part two
Posted on 9:32pm Sunday 14th November 2010
Well it is now over two months since I broke my arm falling off my bike. The main reason for my getting a bike was so that I did not have to spend so much time on a stationary bike at the gym which is exactly what I have been doing recently. Despite a painful and expensive accident I really am very keen to get back on the bike and I hope to do so in the near future.
Jon Emmett »
Sailing fitness - part one
Posted on 3:36pm Sunday 19th September 2010
After a brief chat to a First Aid first responder, and much to my embarrassment, they immediately sent for an ambulance and put me in the back and asked to me describe the pain which I said was 6/7 but 10 if you tried to move my arm! They then put me on “gas and air” or entenox like they give pregnant ladies… The effect was not really to take the pain away but more that I did not care about it so much any more. The gas also made me rather giggly and chatty… a similar affect to having ten pints but in about ten seconds.
Jon Emmett »
The Youth Olympics
Posted on 10:18am Saturday 21st August 2010
This week sees the start of the Youth Olympic games with the sailing being held at the National Sailing Centre Singapore. Sailing has been an Olympic sport since 1900 so it makes sense that there is sailing at the Youth Olympics. This will see the sailing contested in the single handed dinghy the Byte (a class in which I won the World Championships in 2008).
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