Interview of Nick Thompson from Team GBR by Toby Heppell from Yachts & Yachting. Although Nick sails Lasers, he gives a lot of general advise which can be applied to any class
UK Mirror Class
The World's most popular double-handed dinghy
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- Mirror Class Association - About, Contacts,...
- What is a Mirror dinghy?
- Buy or build a Mirror dinghy
- How to rig & sail a Mirror
- Racing, training & events
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- MCA Squads
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- Fitness
- Psychology
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- Top tips to sail faster
- Sail setting & techniques
- Strategy
- Strategy with Mark Rushall (2020)
- Strategy - Mark Rushall explains his three circles model (2020)
- How the tides affect your race course with Mark Rushall (2020)
- The seven rules of positioning with Mark Rushall
- Use The Weather To Help Decide On Strategy with Mark Rushall (2020)
- Prepare In Advance To Help Decide On Strategy with Mark Rushall (2020)
- 3 Golden Rules for Strategy and Tactics with Mark Rushall (2020)
- Strategy & Techniques for a Race - Nick Thompson (Team GBR)
- Tactics - RYA book by Mark Rushall 2019
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- What is a Mirror dinghy?
- Boat Specifications
- GRP Mirrors produced in the UK
- GRP composite Mirrors produced in the UK
- Mirror dinghy interior designs explained
- Development of Mk 3 interior article from Yachts & Yachting
- Winder GRP Mirror with Mk3 interior reviewed in Yachts & Yachting
- Try a Mirror Dinghy
- History
- How it all started
- As it was in the beginning - prototypes
- Testing the original Barry Bucknell prototype & 1963 Boat Show
- Time Shift - The Sailing Sixties (BBC documentary)
- Original colour brochure
- RYA interview about the history of the Mirror with David Henshall in 2013
- BBC 'The One Show' piece from 2015
- Labour as Leisure - The Mirror Dinghy and DIY Sailors
- Early Mirrors were built down to a price
- Buy or build a Mirror dinghy
- Buy or build a Mirror dinghy - options
- Mirror dinghies for sale
- Try a Mirror Dinghy
- Licenced GRP builders and wooden kit manufacturers
- Wooden Boat Builders
- Building a Mirror dinghy from a kit
- Buying a second hand wooden boat
- How to tell the age of a boat from it's sail number
- Testimonials
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to sell your Mirror dinghy on this site
- How to sell Mirror spare gear on this site
- Wirral Ark Dinghies - restoring dinghies, changing lives
- Ex-owners or family looking for their old boat
- Owners looking for ex-owners of their boat or their family
- How to rig & sail a Mirror
- Basic Rigging Guide
- Books on Mirror dinghies
- Basic Rigging - Frequently asked questions
- RYA - Benefits of boating for children
- RYA Youth Sailing Scheme - Stage 1
- What do all the ropes do?
- Basic Controls - Sail, Centreboard/Daggerboard & Tiller
- Figure Of Eight knot
- How to cleat a halyard
- How to hold the tiller extension & mainsheet - centre main
- Getting underway
- Finding the wind direction and where the sail goes (sail trim)
- Tacking - beam reach to beam reach
- How do I turn in a boat?
- Slowing down and stopping - basic pricipals
- Landing
- What if my boat capsizes?
- RYA Youth Sailing Scheme - Stage 2
- Tacking, close reach to close reach - RYA video
- Sailing to windward - Martin's Sailing Modes
- The Five Essentials explained - RYA video
- Basic guide to mainsail controls
- Round turn and two half hitches knot
- How to tie a reef knot
- What do all the ropes do?
- What if my boat capsizes?
- How do I turn in a boat?
- Gybing - RYA video
- RYA Youth Sailing Scheme - Stage 3
- Clove Hitch knot
- How to tie a bowline
- How to tie a rolling hitch and how to use it to set up a herringbone tow
- The Five Essentials explained - RYA video
- Gybing - RYA video
- How Sailing Races are Started - Flags and Honks
- How to understand the Met Office Inshore Waters weather forecast (2020)
- Understanding the Beaufort wind scale & a sea breeze (2020)
- RYA Youth Sailing Scheme - Stage 4
- What to wear
- Transporting your Mirror dinghy - gaff rig
- Masthead floats
- Mirror stuff
- Racing, training & events
- RYA Mirror squads
- RYA Mirror race training videos
- RYA - useful contacts for Mirror sailors
- MCA Squads
- MCA National Youth Development Squad
- MCA National Youth Development Squad blog 2017 - 2018
- MCA National Youth Development Squad blog 2016 - 2017
- MCA National Youth Development Squad blog 2013 - 2014
- MCA National Youth Development Squad blog 2012 - 2013
- MCA SW Squad
- MCA South West Squad 2014 - 2015 blog
- MCA South West Squad 2012 - 2013 blog
- MCA South West Squad 2011 - 2012 blog
- MCA Squad archive
- Race Training & Coaching
- Sail faster
- Boat preperation
- Boat Bimbling with Jonny & Sarah McGovern (2020)
- Rig Tuning by Michael McNamara (2016 Dinghy Show)
- RYA's Top 5 Technical Tips For Racing Success (2014)
- More grip, less friction - David Mossman, Marlow Ropes (2020)
- Rig set up (2017 Ash Shepherd)
- Tuning your Mirror dinghy
- Sailmakers tuning guides
- Simple ways to improve your boat
- Sail shape and how a sail is made from scratch - Mike McNamara (2020)
- Sail shape - make a paper model of a sail with shaped seams - Flip Foulds (2020)
- Fitness
- Stretches for sailors with Emma Higson (2020)
- Hiking circuit for junior sailors - Arran Holman (2020)
- British Sailing Team athletes' home workouts - for junior sailors (2020)
- #SailFromHome Junior fitness programme with Liam Mitchell (2020)
- Seven top tips for winter fitness (2014)
- Warm up video with RYA Sports Scientist Tim Jones (2014)
- Staying in Sailing Shape (2014)
- Physio - Lily Devine, British Sailing Team (2017)
- Hiking Top Tips with Alison Young (2020)
- Top Hiking Tips with Steve Cockerill - Rooster Sailing (2017)
- Hiking Top Tips (Laser) - Nick Thompson (2015)
- 30-minute home workout for youth and adult sailors - Chris Szedlak (2020)
- Another home workout for youth and adult sailors - Chris Szedlak (2020)
- How to plan physical training for youth and adult sailors - Alex Hopson (2020)
- Managing your training load - Youth (2020)
- What does RPE mean? (Youth/adult 2020)
- Why consistency is key (Youth/adult 2020)
- Psychology
- Nutrition
- Racing techniques
- Top tips to sail faster
- RYA Dinghy Racing Channel
- Sail faster - 5 top tips from 49erFX sailors
- Top Tips from the Boat Whisperer - Steve Cockerill (2016 Dinghy Show)
- Increasing Upwind Speed with Penny Clark
- What HAppened Today - post-racing debriefs from Mirror Championships
- Spend time on the water
- Go-Fast Gear! (1973)
- Share The Knowledge - Steve Cockerill (2017 Dinghy Show)
- Racing With A Compass (Graham Ellis)
- Sail setting & techniques
- Strategy
- Strategy with Mark Rushall (2020)
- Strategy - Mark Rushall explains his three circles model (2020)
- How the tides affect your race course with Mark Rushall (2020)
- The seven rules of positioning with Mark Rushall
- Use The Weather To Help Decide On Strategy with Mark Rushall (2020)
- Prepare In Advance To Help Decide On Strategy with Mark Rushall (2020)
- 3 Golden Rules for Strategy and Tactics with Mark Rushall (2020)
- Strategy & Techniques for a Race - Nick Thompson (Team GBR)
- Tactics - RYA book by Mark Rushall 2019
- Weather
- Air stability (Youth/Adult) - Simon Rowell 2020
- Air stability (Junior) - Simon Rowell 2020
- Meteorology (Youth/Adult) - Simon Rowell 2020
- Meteorology (Junior) - Simon Rowell 2020
- Understanding The Weather - Simon Rowell (RYA, 2019)
- How to build a venue guide (Junior & Youth) - Simon Rowell 2020
- All about Clouds (Junior) with Jake Humphery (2020)
- Sailing Weather Tips on reading local Weather & Tides - Libby Greenhalgh (2016 Dinghy Show)
- Understanding the Met Office Inshore Waters weather forecast (junior) with Jake Humphery (2020)
- Tactics
- Boat preperation
- Events calendar
- World Championships
- Charter an MCA Winder Mk 3 for the Worlds
- 2021 Worlds at Sligo YC, Ireland
- 2019 Worlds at the Woollahra Sailing Club, Sydney, Australia
- 2017 Gul Worlds at Restronguet Sailing Club, United Kingdom
- 2015 Worlds at Theewater Sports Club, South Africa
- 2013 Worlds at Lough Derg Yacht Club, Ireland
- 2011 Worlds at Princess Alexandra SC, Albany, Australia
- 2001 Worlds at Howth, Ireland
- Past and Present World Champions
- European Championships
- Charter an MCA Winder Mk 3 for the Europeans
- 2016 Europeans at Royal Cork Yacht Club, Ireland
- 2014 Europeans at Brixham Yacht Club, United Kingdom
- 2012 Europeans at Poole Yacht Club, United Kingdom
- 2010 Europeans at Sligo Yacht Club, Ireland
- European Championship Reports prior to 2010
- Past and Present European Champions
- National Championships
- National Championship Trophies
- Daily Mirror Trophy
- HL Twentyman Challange Cup
- Pioneer Cup
- America Cup
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- Marlow Rope Trophy
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- Jan Grieg Gran Plate for Bronze fleet
- Arthur Birt Trophy
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- Gulf Cup
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- Ptwootle Trophy
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- Lucas Trophy
- Charter an MCA Winder Mk 3 for the Nationals
- UK Mirror Nationals 2022 - Hayling Island SC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2021 - Restronguet SC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2020 - Ullswater YC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2019 - Poole YC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2018 - Ullswater YC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2017 - Restronguet SC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2016 - Itchenor SC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2015 - SCYC, Abersoch
- UK Mirror Nationals 2014 - Brixham YC
- UK Mirror Nationals 2013 - Pembrokeshire Yacht Club
- UK Mirror Nationals 2012 - Itchenor Sailing Club
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- Controls led back to the thwart
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Forthcoming Events
| 26 Feb 2022 Farnborough International Exhibition Centre RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show |
| 26 Feb 2022 Farnborough International Exhibition Centre RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show |
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