Strategy and tactics

Gotta admit, I'm a bit of a strategy buff.

I like to win. And winning can be done either by being bigger, faster or stronger than the other guy or having a better technique. Because I'll only get bigger if I'm fat and strength is out because of how injury prone I am, I either have to go for speed or the better technique. I have the speed, or I will do when I get down to nearer 12 stone. I got recorded at 11.5 seconds for 100 metres once, when I was 16. Which isn't too bad. I've learned better running technique as well as an appreciation for spiked shoes since then.

Nope. If I'm to win, it has to be through better technique or a smarter strategy. I like devising strategy, I seem to be rather good at it. Although I've not wanted to run a team for a while, I've had decent results when I have been a team captain, including some wins when we had no business winning ... I've also punched above my weight with sports like karting, where you have to be light to go fast. I couldn't quite put up the times to match our regular karter, but I did get his respect. And our team of 4 got a trophy too :-)

So what's the twist ? I suppose you could say that one twist is that I'd like to be the best I can be at whatever I want to do. I firmly believe anyone can do that, although the physical stuff may be a little beyond me.

Another twist comes from what I've just been watching - highlights of the Volvo Ocean Race. Yacht racing doesn't just involve strategy against the other people in the race, it involves getting the best out of the weather. And that really does interest me ... Knowing what you can get out of the boat and knowing how far you can or should push it. Several of the Volvo competitors (most of 'em!) have fallen foul of pushing things too far, breaking their boat. But if you don't push it ... you come second because the other guy is pushing harder. And I like to win.

I've never been sailing ... And would love to. I've never had the opportunity but I've got a lot of respect for what I see on programmes like the Volvo Ocean Race highlights, as well as getting an appreciation for it from accounts in several fiction books I've read. Plus there's Philip, who joined the place I work at the same time I did. Philip took part in the Sydney Hobart yacht race a few years ago. He's gone through another few jobs since though ... Will have to try and find some proper fact type books about sailing.

What I've always said though, is that you never know a thing unless you've tried it ... and sailing is something I'd dearly like to try.