He reads the wind and makes no mistakes. Meet professional yachtsman Ivan Mshensky

The participant of the water race Ivan Mshensky told the correspondent of the agency “Minsk-Novosti” about the everyday life of a professional yachtsman. How athletes understand the wind and why a single mistake can throw off multiple positions.

Reading the wind

Ivan, you started sailing at the age of 7. Remember the first time you met him?

- My father brought me. He's also a famous athlete. At first it was a normal childhood hobby. And then quietly became a way of life. I have been in sailing for 16 years and compete professionally in the Laser Standard class (ILCA 7).

Sailing from the outside seems quite difficult. How many classes of yachts are there?

- There are many of them, and they are markedly different from each other. There are Olympic disciplines. These include, for example, performances on single yachts "Laser Standard" (this is a men's class) and "Laser Radial" (ILCA 6) for women. The hulls of these boats are almost the same, and they differ in mast and sail area: the "Standard" is about 7 square meters. m, the "Radial" - 5.7 square meters. m.

There are crew classes. The Olympic yacht 470 is designed for two athletes. The helmsman controls the boat and adjusts the grotto, and the scot regulates the sails, controls the roll and, if necessary, goes into the trapezoid - literally hovers over the water, holding overboard.

The name of the class "470" is associated with the length of the hull: it is 4.7 meters. On larger boats, the crew expands, there are additional specializations - tank, tactics and others. Everyone has their own area of responsibility, but a good yachtsman must understand all the functions.

- What position do you stand for?

- On a single yacht "Laser", so I perform all the tasks myself: I control the boat, set up the sail and make tactical decisions. On large yachts versatile: I can work as a steering and tactics. I am particularly interested in the role of tactics. This is a person who reads the wind: monitors its direction and changes, assesses the situation at a distance and tries to predict the development of the race several moves ahead.

- Can the wind be read?

- An experienced yachtsman is able to notice its changes: where the flow will increase, where it will weaken, where the wind will come in a few minutes. You look at the surface of the water, at the ripples. It’s not magic, it’s just experience. I have been training in the Minsk Sea all my life and I know it well. I know where the wind can turn or suddenly fail. But you can’t learn this from a textbook: you need to spend a lot of time on the water.

- So sailing isn't just physical strength?

- Here, tactics, calculation, and psychology are important. You can be tough, but you can lose to the person who understands the wind better or makes one less mistake. I often say don’t make mistakes and you will be the first. There are no trifles in the race: he took the start wrong, turned late, set the sail wrong - lost several positions.

- How is the winner determined?

- In sailing, there is a linear counting system. In competitions, the first place winner gets one point, the second - two, the third - three and so on. In the end, the one who has fewer points wins. The same logic works in the ranking at the end of the season. I am currently in third place in the Laser Standard class. In September, the championship of Belarus will be held, which will be decisive for the final position in the ranking for next year.

Mastery

- What does a professional yachtsman’s day look like?

- The morning begins with a charge, a cup of coffee and a weather forecast. But the forecast is not limited. I also see what's going on outside the window. I come to the yacht club, assess the water and wind. I'm preparing the boat, combing it and checking the equipment. I change clothes – and for training, which lasts from two to four hours. I practice manoeuvres, starts, rounds of signs, work on speed. Then I compare my time and my competitors. Even though we are competitors on the water, we are friends on the shore. After training, the boat needs to rinse, hitch, stretch. We usually exercise 6 times a week, the day off is Monday. Classes in sports school are free. But everyone buys equipment himself: a wetsuit, shoes and the necessary equipment.

- What's the perfect weather?

- The ideal wind for racing is from 8 to 15 knots. Then the yachtsmen reveal their skills as much as possible, quickly perform turns and demonstrate a high pace of the race.

- When can I start sailing?

- Children are usually brought in at 7-8 years. First class is Optimist. This is a small yacht on which they learn to control the ship and participate in competitions. Up to about 13-14 years old, children perform at them, then move to other classes.

There are two state specialized organizations in the Minsk Sea for training: Specialized children and youth school of the Olympic reserve in sailing and the Republican center of Olympic training in sailing.

There is no strict age ceiling to begin with. My father joined the sport at 13 and became a top yachtsman. The main thing is the willingness and willingness to work.

- Should we be afraid of injury?

- Sailing is not one of the most traumatic types. However, the load is severe. The boat is constantly leaning, you have to work in statics for a long time, and then sharply turn on the dynamics. Possible sprains of the ligaments, problems with the knees, wrists, lower back. And of course, the geek is a heavy structure that, when you turn, can suddenly fly from one side to another. Bruises and bruises from him are a classic for a yachtsman.

- What happens if two boats do not separate and collide?

- We call it contact. Before the race, all the crews study the racing instructions, the features of the distance, and at the briefing ask questions. During the race, there are clear rules of divergence like our traffic rules. When you have an advantage, the other boat needs to report it. Ideally, everyone should leave without contact. If a dispute arises, a protest can be filed. And you need to say loudly: "Protest, yacht number 12!" The judges then evaluate the episode. At the competitions there are special judges - Empires, who make decisions immediately. For violation can be followed by a penalty turnover, in serious cases - disqualification.

- Judges still show flags..

- Orange is used before the start. There's white and orange striped. Among themselves, yachtsmen call it a carrot. It signals that the start is postponed due to inappropriate weather conditions. Green means that there are no violations, red requires punishment, black - disqualification. Sailing is very regulated: from the outside it seems that several ships are just chasing on the water, but in fact every action matters and is performed based on the rules.

Alone in the boat

- You've been in solitary for years. How difficult is it to work as a team after that?

- It wasn't easy for me. On a single yacht, you collect all the information, analyze it and make a decision. And the crew needs to share observations, listen to another person, trust him. But that's the interest. There's synergy in the team. One sees one thing, the other sees another. The main thing is not to pull the blanket over yourself. I try to create a friendly atmosphere. When conflicts arise, we talk. Because you're in the same boat on a yacht, and that's not a metaphor.

- Does burnout happen?

- Almost all athletes pass through it. A particularly difficult moment is the transition from youth sports to adults. At some point it seems that you are not as good as before, that you can not cope. This is actually a normal stage of growth. Here the work of a coach is very important - not only physical, but also psychological. Sometimes it helps to change the environment or class of the yacht. You need to step back a little, approach the situation with a cold head and continue.

- What keeps you in the sport for so many years?

- The ability to constantly look for something new. I want to get the maximum pleasure from sailing, meet people, develop, try myself in different positions and roles. I'm interested in setting new challenges. I'm still looking for myself. I don’t want to develop in just one path. Because a good yachtsman has to be a wagon. He must be able to do everything.

Where to go on a yacht

Almost all locations are concentrated on the Zaslavsky and Krinitsa reservoirs.

Cost per hour (depending on capacity):

1. 1.sailing yacht (1 person) – 80 BYN;
2. 2.sailing yacht (3 people) – 180 BYN;
3. 3.sailing catamaran for racing (2 people) – 150 BYN;
4. 4.sailing yacht (6-10 people) – from 200 to 350 BYN;
5. 5.motor yacht (4-12 people) – from 200 to 250 BYN.

Photo of Elizabeth Davidovskaya and from the personal archive of the hero