You wrote:
... point-to-point racing, whether in the ocean or in sheltered
waters, is essentially the same as cruising ...
And then you wrote:
Did I say that racing is the same as passagemaking? ...

So, yeah, I thought you were saying the cruising is the same as point-
to-point racing.

Hmm... looking back, I can see where you got that impression
How about this- the skills that are rewarded in racing have a pretty
high correlation to the skills which make cruising safer and less
worrisome... as mentioned earlier, I am specifically *not* talking
about the skill of flogging a boat around bouys as quickly as possible
(which doesn't sound fun to non-racers, and they seem to have no idea
what is involved), but rather the skills which go into enabling the
sailor to do so in the first place.... preparation, prioritizing, boat-
handling, knowledge & observation of weather & wind & tide patterns,
the ability to know where the boat is going to fetch (and in what time
frame) without having to concentrate, etc etc. The thing that most
racers concentrate on most of the time... sail set & trim... is much
less important in cruising. It sounds like that was your main focus.



Also, since we obviously aren't talking about the same kind of
cruising, it'd be helpful to me to know what kind of cruising you're
talking about. I think an example or two of the kind of cruises
you've taken would help me understand where you're coming from on
this.


Mostly coastal sailing, mostly on the US East Coast although I've
sailed a lot of other places, and have done enough passagemaking to
know what it's like. Most recently my wife and I completed a Great
Loop cruise around the eastern US & Canada, and even on a tugboat the
skills I'm talking about contribute greatly to a smooth & safe cruise.

It seems likely to me that you either haven't learned the same skills
that I did from racing, or that you learned them without knowing that
you know them, and thus never learned to consciously fit them into the
big picture.
I'd be interested to know what kind of boats you raced, and what
position in the crew you held. For my own part, I've done a little of
everything but generally prefer to drive.

DSK