If you are a competitive sailor and really want to stretch yourself and are able to qualify, a worlds event is a must to see how the best of the best perform. There are key things that you should be aware of:
1 The legs are long and on relatively open water. In the run up to the event, race as much as possible in a variety of waters and do lots of 2 boat tuning ideally on open water, training in similar conditions so you can perfect your set up.
2 Have a hull and rig that you are confident will deliver best performance. If your design begins with a V even better.
3 Measure everything so when you launch, your boat it is ready. There is rarely time to re-adjust your settings except before racing begins at the start of the day.
4 Be realistic in your expectations. Things may not always go to plan.
5 Set an objective to have as much fun as possible and meet as many sailors as you can. You will be amazed the tips you can pick up through discussions with fellow competitors
6 The wear and tear on boats at an international event is significantly greater than club, open meeting or ranking events. If in doubt over engineer your boat. I used shrouds of a certain breaking strain. One broke in the Europeans last year. Nothing broke over the winter until I reach the world championship when 2 snapped. I now have shrouds that I am confident will not snap.
7 Remember the 1st and second positions were filled by two of the leading IOM designers. They have sailed these boats for decades. They can be beaten but it takes someone very special.
8 Whatever you do, remember to have fun and relax. Relaxation allows for creative thought on the race course. Enjoy
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