“Palma’s Princess Sofia regatta is over for another year, proving to be an exceptionally tough regatta with every sailor at some point finding themselves at the wrong end of a major shift. I started the week well, however I had to count one big score too many to make the medal race and finished 15th out of the 134 strong fleet.
The more random and unpredictable conditions are, the more it makes sense to look towards making gains in the areas easiest to control, and boat preparation is a major area to make a definitive gain over other competitors! So, before the event started I replaced my old deck blocks with Southeast Sailboats block plate assembly with Harken 29mm blocks and I was really impressed by the difference it to made to the smoothness of the overall systems. The larger blocks reduce friction so effectively, and the soft attach loops to the deck are highly durable and hold the blocks perfectly.
Recently I have spent a lot of time going from one boat to another – one boat in the UK and one boat abroad. Something I have learnt is how important it is to have the exact same set-ups on each boat, this stops me wasting time getting used to a new boat. With the help of Southeast Sailboats, I have changed my whole downhaul system and outhaul blocks to use systems with spliced loops. So, instead of tying a bowline in ‘about the right place’ every time I rig up, my set up is identical time and time again. In terms of maximising training time and developing sailing skills, having a consistent rig set-up is essential.”
Southeast Sailboats is proud to be sponsoring Michael Beckett by providing our custom control line systems.