Jon's Blog

Browse Category

BACK
Aug 31, 2020 |
Coaching, Archive (2008 - 2024),  |
jon.emmett

Jon Emmett’s lockdown

I guess my biggest project during Covid-19 crisis has been Restart Sailing. To get people back on the water sailing safely. We have of course seen extremes with some people very unwilling to leave their houses to others who just wanted to carry on as normal. Of course, this was perhaps led by their own personal experiences or scientific knowledge. Personally, I have had friends die and other friends who had the Corona Virus with absolutely no symptoms whatsoever. The good news is sailing is probably one of the best and safest activities we can be doing and the ILCA Nationals is one of the few Nationals going ahead this year and will be definitely be featured on the next show.

The aim of Restart Sailing was clear. To help people get back to sailing in a safe and fun way by carefully managing the risks. A packed changing room is obviously not a safe place if someone may have/be spreading the virus. Whereas once out on the water, hopefully on a nice sunny day and strong wind is perhaps the best environment you can be in! The RYA have done a great job here and I want to thank the RYA’s Racing Director Ian Walker for appearing on the Restart Sailing show.  The  show is shown live every 2 weeks on the Coach Yourself to Win Facebook page and then uploaded to the jonemmettsailing YouTube channel.

Neilpryde mentoring


Coaching has also been an online experience, mostly over zoom, an app I don’t think I had heard of 12 months ago. In fact, I recently went through with the ILCA Nationals PRO Paul Jackson how to do the briefing by zoom, so fingers crossed everything goes smoothly! Actually the ability to share screens and talk through video has been great and it is something that I will be continuing doing in the future and in terms of social distancing you are probably as far apart as you can be when safely at home. I have also been continuing the Neil Pryde team mentoring and actually talking to several people from the same class, at the same time, over zoom has worked really well. Here are the Neil Pryde sponsored ILCA sailors.

Jon Emmett has over 20 years of coaching experience from grass roots to Olympic Gold.