I sail single handed. Does that change anything?

Yes, it sharpens everything. No corrective, no second opinion, no relief watch, and sleep deprivation over days. From the outside, single handers seem braver and mentally stronger than average — what it looks like on the inside, nobody knows. The great single-handed offshore races show one thing clearly: the mental load of loneliness is immense. Single handers need robust routines and an inner dialogue that carries them when nobody else is there. That is exactly where mental training can make the difference.