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For a taste - check out this freebie from the RYA dinghy show talk: If you have watched the Boat Whisper DVD's/Digital Downloads and need another explanation, or if you are simply interested in making your boat sail faster without any investment in sails or rig tuning, then why not help arrange a Boat Whisperer Talk sessions which can be held at your local sailing club. Do they make a difference?  I like to recall the time I was accosted by almost every Australian at the Laser Masters Worlds in Terrigal Australia. They were all excited about how the Boat Whisperer DVD's had improved their racing and how it had inspired them to attend the World Championships. Some explained that the DVD's had shaved 5 minutes off their race track. Laurence (the main sailor in the Upwind and Downwind DVD's) was obviously the hero as it was his mistakes that were enlightening. If you prefer a digital download - see here: When do they take place? I generally do the talks between the clocks going back for the winter and forwards for the spring. There is no point talking to sailors when the sun and wind are out. But I am confident that I can change a sailors mindset so they can start to improve their sailing straight away. How can I book a Boat Whisperer? Send me an email (steve at rooster sailing dot com) and I can try and dovetail you in. I have talked in New York and Reykjavik so there is no problem coming to your local sailing club. How much do they cost? The basic fee is £250 plus vat, plus expenses. Sometimes flying is cheaper! You would set the ticket price. Which days am I free? Normally I try and avoid weekends and holidays as this gets in the way of family sailing time. My best day is probably a Wednesday evening. How can I organise a talk at my club? Discuss the idea with your committee to get some funding approval and send me an email to check on my availability, hopefully, I can fit you in. If you would like to expand the talk to local clubs, you might find it an ideal inspiration to building support for your winter programme or spring regatta. Let me know if we can advertise the talk on this page. What is the Normal Programme? Most clubs start at 19:00 and take a 20-minute break for some food, usually included in the ticket price. I wrap the talk at about 22:15 although there are at least a couple of breaks to refill your glasses. Please Comment If you have seen me talk before and would like to recommend it to someone else - please comment so others might be inspired to arrange one or travel to one locally. I have some current experience in single and double handed dinghies as well as coaching Olympic sailors - my sailing CV speaks of someone who is devoted to dinghy sailing, some might call me an Anorak. - ;) 2025 - 4000 Euro Cup Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2025 - ILCA6 European GM Champion 2025 - ILCA6 National GM Champion 2025 - Europe Masters Europeans - Gold Medal Super Master-Silver overall   2025 - Europe National and Open Champion 2024 - ILCA 6 GM national champion 2024 - ILCA 6 GM European Silver 2024 - Tasar National Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2024 - RS500 World Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2024 - RS Aero6 Australian National Champion 2023 - ILCA6 Masters Inland National Champion (all categories) 2023 - Runner up fourth time in Solo National Championships!  2023 - Europe National and Open Champion 2022 - RS400 Southern Tour Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2022 - Europe National Champion 2022 - ILCA6 Masters Inland Champion 2021 - Europe National and Open Champion 2020 - Europe Inland National Champion 2019- RS300 Inland National Champion 2019 - RS400 1st Master, 1st Loving Cup, 1st Lady Crew (Sarah), 3rd  UK and Irish Nationals (Steve and Sarah) 2019 - RS400 Southern Tour Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2018 - Laser Radial Grand Master World Champion 2018 - RS500 World Championship Runner-Up (Steve and Sarah) 2018 - RS500 National Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2018 - Aero 7 Masters World Champion  2018 - RS800 European Championships 3rd place (Steve and Sarah). 2018 - Aero 9 National Champion 2017 - Aero 7 World Champion 2017 - Aero 7 Masters World Champion 2017 - 2000 National Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2017 - 4000 Euro Cup Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2017 - Laser Radial Masters European Champion - 1st Grand Master 2016 – Laser Radial UK Masters – Master Category 1st 2016 – 4000 Euro Cup Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2016 – 4000 National Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2015 - Laser Radial UK Masters - Master Category 1st 2015 - Laser Radial Spanish Masters - Master Category 1st 2015 - 4000 Euro Cup Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2015 - 4000 National Champions (Steve and Sarah) 2014 - Rooster 8.1 National Champion 2014 - Laser Masters World Champion (Radial Rig) 2014 - Runner-Up - Solo National Championships 2013 - Rooster 8.1 National Champion 2013 - Laser Radial North American Masters Champion 2013 - Graduate National Champion (Steve and Harry Kennedy) 2012 - Rooster 8.1 National Champion 2012 - Laser Masters European Champion (Radial Rig) 2012 - Graduate National Champion 2011 - Laser Masters European Champion (Radial Rig) 2011 - Laser Masters National Champion (Standard Rig) 2011 - Streaker National Champion 2011 - Graduate National Champion (Steve and Harry Kennedy 2011 - Scorpion National Championships - 3rd (Steve and Sarah) 2010 - Rooster 8.1 National Champion 2010 - Laser Masters Inland Champion (Standard Rig) 2010 - Laser Radial Master National Champion 2010 - Graduate National Champion (Steve and Harry Kennedy) 2010 - Laser Master World Champion (Radial Rig - Master Category) 2009 - Laser Masters Inland Champion (Standard Rig) 2009 - Laser Masters European Champion (Standard Rig) 2009 - Laser Masters Ladder Champion 2009 - Laser National Radial Ladder Champion 2009 - Streaker National Champion 2009 - Graduate National Champion 2008 - Laser Master European Champion (Standard Rig) 2008 - Streaker National Champion 2008 - Graduate National Champion 2007 - RS300 National Champion 2007 - Laser Radial National Champion 2007 - Graduate National Champion 2007 - Streaker National Champion 2007 - Rooster 8.1 National Champion 2006 - Laser Master National Champion 2006 - Streaker National Champion 2006 - Runner-Up - Solo National Championships 2005 - Laser Radial National Champion 2005 - Laser Master National Champion 2005 - RS300 National Champion 2005 - Blaze National Champion 2004 - Blaze National Champion 2003 - RS300 National Champion 2003 - Laser Master National Champion 2003 - Blaze National Champion 2003 - Laser Radial National Champion 2002 - Laser Radial Master World Champion 2002 - Laser Radial National Champion 2002 - Laser Radial Inland National Champion 2002 - RS300 National Champion 2001 - Laser Radial National Champion 2001 - Laser Radial Master World Champion 1999 - RS300 National Champion 1995 - Laser National Inland Champion 1995 - British Pre Olympic Team - Savannah 1994 - British Pre Olympic Team - Savannah 1994 - Europe British Open & National Champion 1992 - Europe National Champion 1992 - Runner-Up - Solo National Championships 1990 - Europe National Champion 1989 - Europe National Champion 1988 - Europe National Champion 1987 - Europe National Champion 1986 - Europe National Champion 1984 - Graduate National Champion 1984 - ASTON UNI BUSA Team Racing Champions 

After recuperating from 3 months of illness, I am pretty frustrated at not yet being allowed on the water. My fevers have finally subsided, informatory markers have halved, haemoglobin is up and I am now doing some pretty limited training - like cutting the lawn; which incidentally nearly finished me off! At the weekend my birthday treat was to race my Father in Law and Step son in Model Laser's® on Emsworth Pond. The wind was a nice force 3-4 easterly - and these boats could move! Armed with a Rooster Superlite Hybrid Jacket and a Tech Sweater sample, I wrapped up warm and had the time of my life. What was most amazing was that the Model Lasers® behaved exactly like real dinghies in terms of rudder trimming - so all the secrets from the first Boat Whisperer DVD's were put into practice. When on a run with the sail out too far - a gust would make it roll to windward, but with a quick bear away and sheet in - she was back on her feet and the acceleration from the manoeuvre was obvious - against the option of spinning out - this was a cool trick. Also gybing at the leeward mark - showed the classic sheeting in too early as the bear away was started meant the boat encountered a leeward heel that countered and slowed the rudder turn taking all the speed off the boat. The Boat Whisperer trick alternative was to turn slightly upwind, ease the sheet slightly before using the rudder to bear away - then start sheeting in as the boat is turning in its outward heel due to the turning force - and the boat would come out of the gybe speedy and trimmed ready for the beat. All the Downwind and Gybing Secrets on One DVD The only negative about the radio controlled boats was that I could not get in there with it. I wished I could have sat aft in the big gusts downwind to promote a plane rather than a nose dive - perhaps one day long in the future, there will be a radio controlled boat with ballast that can be moved fore and aft - then I would have to grow and extra hand or become an octopus to race that one effectively.