大象传媒

It was like running the 100m on a treadmill - going nowhere fast. That was how one of the sailors summed up the conditions here.

The warning signs were there on Wednesday when a number of fleets had their races postponed, but Thursday was the first full day of racing lost.

Stronger winds are forecast which should be the best of the regatta so far.

There's only so much badminton and you can play in the dirty sweaty murk. Even the flags were struggling - and they're made out of super dooper material to make it look like there is more breeze than there really is.

It's frustrating for everyone, not least for the sailors who can't afford to switch off. No-one wants the pause button pressed because you're only as good as your last race.

If you're winning you want to keep on winning. If you're not, you want to get straight back out there and put things right. Waiting around for the right conditions feels like pure procrastination.

Because of its uncontrollable factors, sailing is a very complex sport. It's about building your game. You can go crazy - beating yourself up over the ifs the buts and the maybes.

The British team operate as a pack. It's about getting the balance right and that's when sports psychology kicks in. On days like Thursday they switch down, not off.

I was talking to team Ben Chell last night. It's all about conditioning the mind to deliver the right skills at the right time, no matter what the circumstance.

"The sailors know each other relatively well and they're all in this together. I think they draw on strength within the team that everybody in it is routing for each other and wants them to do well," he said.

"Equally, if some sailors have had a stressful day they can come back into that environment, be part of that team and in control. That in turn helps them to switch off and de-stress."

Chell's psychology is about keeping it simple. It's about fact, logic, and truth no matter what kind of day you've had on the water.