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For those who do not know Steve, he has been coaching with Sailability Auckland and the Paralympic sailors for the last 4 years. Steve coaches from LTS level out of Westhaven through to travelling around the World with the Skud and Sonar sailors.
Last year Steve was part of the NZL Paralympic team that went to London. Steve has just returned from Miami where he was coaching Team RIO Gold New Zealand Paralympic Sailing.
Firstly Steve, how did you get involved in coaching sailors with disabilities?
A friend invited me down to help with maintenance on the Sailability boats. I then met Tim and Jan and got involved in their Paralympic campaign.
This quickly grew to involvement in all levels of sailing with Disabilities from the Learn to Sail right through to racing groups and travelling Nationally and Internationally with teams.
What did you learn from attending the Paralympic Games as a coach support role?
The Paralympics taught me about how to manage the sailors fatigue and well being. I knew what the sailors were capable of doing both on and off the water. I would then offer my assistance to allow the athletes to perform at their peak. I did whatever it took to allow the sailors to concentrate on the job in hand and make sure the boat was in top working condition.
Having a small team at London, we had to multi task a lot and chip in to make sure both the Skud and 2.4m sailors boats were ready for racing each day.
Has that changed the way you coach now?
I am more aware of maximising time on the water for the sailors. I tailor the sessions so that they are shorter but more precise, focusing on certain drills to up skill the sailor.
Lots of time can be lost with boat preparation and logistics. Sometimes the sailor needs to be a part of this process, and at others I am best preparing the boat or getting the boat into the water before the sailor arrives.
How did you find coaching 2 ex Americas Cup sailors at Miami? (David Barnes and Rick Dodson)
I enjoyed working with the team and setting the boat up. We are all new to the Sonar so it is a steep learning curve. But having that level of experience and knowledge we were able to tune the rig set up to produce some fast settings in a relatively short time.
Although early stages in this new campaign, what are different about the 2 campaigns?
Obviously they are different boats, with very different set ups and styles of sailing. With Tim and Jan we spent many years sailing the Skud, we knew the boat well, had a good set up and adapted the boat to what Tim and Jan were capable of doing while seated in the boat. The Sonar is a new boat to us all, there are no boats in NZL currently and Miami was the first time we had a sail in a Sonar. The sailors are working out what they can do in the boat, how to delegate roles and decision making. They are also working out how to make the boat go fast in different conditions and the different modes to sail.
What do you feel your strengths are that you bring to your coaching?
I relate well to the sailors, I have dealt with many different sailors and can usually come up with a suitable way of making their role on the boat suitable for them.
I can set up the boats well and understand what it takes to make them go fast.
With my background in boat building and engineering I am able to bring development of adaptive equipment to the campaigns. Almost all adaptive equipment on the Skud is custom made of which I designed or made the majority of.
Any advice you can give to coaches who coach sailors with disabilities?
Treat the sailors the same as you would any other sailor.
Look for an opportunity to adapt equipment in the boats. Do not be afraid to try new gear and techniques.
Talk openly to the sailors. Ask them questions about their situation and capability. Do not assume they can or cannot do a task.
What do you never go out coaching without?
Lifejacket
VHF
Wet notes and Camera
Who do you admire as a Coach in any sport?
Anyone who does the hard yards and is not afraid to learn with the sailors.
Most satisfying moment when coaching?
When a team succeeds at a skill you have been working on and they are happy with the outcome.
Most random thing or funniest thing you have seen?
One RNLI lifeboat fully crewed, the local harbourmaster in his RHIB and a navy escort all following us around when we went out for a practise sail in Weymouth in 30 knots of breeze. I think they thought we were mad, and they would have to rescue us but we actually go sailing in this breeze all the time back home.
What is next for you?
Currently with Sailability, getting over 40 sailors on the water a week.
Helping Paralympic campaigns as they assess their options and fundraise.
Future Goals?
To see NZL represented in all 3 classes (Sonar, Skud and 2.4m) at the RIO Paralympics 2016.
