Grafham Grand Prix

Well I have had nearly two months off racing so I was very keen to sail the Grafham Grand Prix on 30th December (the last time I sailed was actually at the Inlands at Grafham). I got the all clear to sail the day before. My eyes have been healing well and although I am somewhat short sighted I was safe to race!

Previous to my eye operation I was long sighted. They over correct the eyes making me short sighted with the vision settling down (hopefully with all prescription removed) in around a couple of months. The day after I had my operation I was bashing my nose with my mobile phone to read text messages and I couldn’t see who was calling me!!!

I have been very good protecting my eyes but I did have a scare when a strap blew up and hit me in the eye when packing up a boat. So I was very relieved to hear there was no damage done. I have also had a large amount of massage, reflexology, and acupuncture for my neck and it was suggested I tried a day’s sailing to see how I got on.

Originally I was going to do the Grafham Grand Prix in the 49er, sailing in the fast fleet, but having not spent any time on the water and having seen the scary forecast I decided the Radial (which was sailed in the single handed fleet) was by far the safest option. Looking back I feel I made the correct choice!

To say I was rusty was the understatement of 2006; previously I had been racing every weekend so I certainly noticed the time off. My legs were fine (which was a pleasant surprise) but my decision-making/boat handling was embarrassing! It was also odd not being able to read the sail numbers of the boats on the other side of the beat (due to being short sighted).

The first race I made a poor start but managed to tack off early to get clean wind, but on the downwind leg I was catching the leader, only to sail to the wrong mark (school boy error number one).

Race two I was luffed hard by the boat to leeward and ended up colliding with the boat to windward of me and doing turns shortly after the start (school boy error number two).

Race three the wind went hard left just before the start. Assuming it would come back sooner or later I started on the right in more wind and tacked immediately. The wind never came back (school boy error number three).

However I still came comfortably first monohull, but was soundly beaten by a challenger trimaran who whooped us all on handicap. Over the three races we had strong, medium and light winds (20,15 and 10 knots) and I actually won the middle race over the water, so all in all I was happy my with boat speed.

Unfortunately my neck was not so happy (it did not really enjoy the day – becoming quite painful towards the end) and although I do not think I did any further damage it is clear I need another month off the water/out of the gym. Far better to find out sooner rather than later. It just means I will be twice as keen when I can get training again! (I should also be able to see much better in another month!!!) (30/12/06)

Resting

Well, two weeks of rest and I still have a painful forearm and numb fingers as a result of the neck injury but at least the neck brace has come off. The eyes are making good progress and I can now drive although I am still not a big fan of bright light or looking at computer screens. Really itching to get back in the gym but I understand it will still be a little while yet. However on the plus side, with the recent storms coming across the UK perhaps the best place to be is indoors! (4/12/06)

Ultralase

Well in any period of downtime it always makes sense to get the things done you never have the time to do! I have been looking at Laser eye surgery for several years now. After all, Olympic sailing is all about finding that extra 1%. I race without my glasses (or contact lenses after I broke one at the Radial Europeans a few years ago, a painful experience which probably went some way to stopping me winning the event, (where I eventually finished third).

After surgery I need to have a month off the water and out of the Gym. Something which I would in an ideal world NEVER do! However due to injury I have been forced to take some time off. Hence this seemed an ideal time to go for it!!! I will therefore be spending this time at “home” at Imberhorne Farm in East Grinstead, which will give me a chance to reintroduce myself to my extremely supportive parents!

The time off will of course minimise the possibility of burn out, which is a risk all full time sailors take. By having this time out now I am sure to be ready and raring to go for the start of 2007, which is a very important year as this is when the majority of the places for the Olympics will be decided! (26/11/06)

The Inlands

The UK domestic season ends with the Inlands, which is one of my favourite events. Having spent the early part of my sailing career sailing at Weir Wood reservoir followed by five years at Loughborough University sailing on countless Midland gravel pits, I am well used to small courses, shifty winds and flat water, despite the fact that most of my training is now down at Weymouth, home of the 2012 Olympics.

This year was actually the seventh time I have won the Radial inlands but I was in fact far more concerned about my performance this year than I have been in previous years, despite numbers being down at this year’s event (most likely due to an especially hectic October and a poor weather forecast).

Unfortunately I have been suffering with a serious neck injury, which has been getting progressively worse (no thanks to the strong winds we had all over October). I can honestly say I was in absolute agony for the final couple of Qualifiers but it was important to me to finish the season.

Lucky for me the wind was extremely light for the Radial Inlands, which finally gave my body a small break! Even if I did accidentally ram some poor innocent 4.7 sailor whom I tacked under, when my silly numb hand let go of the tiller at the end of the tack! Fortunately this was the only real issue I had and despite my boat handling not being up to scratch I managed to put together a consistent series to take the event, a really nice way to end the season.

For the 49er Inlands I was not quite so lucky, with the breeze averaging over twenty knots on the first day. However I was still very pleased to attend the event and we marked the end of series with a curry on the Saturday night (drinks kindly paid for by Dave Hall from Ovington boats) which was very nice. It was great to get seven races in over a weekend and it now seems a very long time until my next race but perhaps this is a good thing…

I am now having some serious time out, to recover from my neck injury (which sees lots of ice then hot treatments, some serious anti-inflammatories and lots of trips to the osteopath and physio, plus the use of a neck brace). However I am confident I will be back in good shape for the start of next season and I am continuing to do some very gentle cycling in the gym, so as to maintain my current fitness (although much to my frustration I am not allowed to go anywhere near any weights!) (12/11/06)

Southampton Boat Show

The Southampton boat show really marks the beginning of the Autumn season, and then to a certain extent it all begins again. The qualifiers keep on rolling with the next three events counting to decide who gets the spots at the 2007 Worlds. It was good just to wander round the show, speak to people and maybe get some new projects started next year.

The Autumn also means the start of “Winter training”. The first of these days I coached the Lasers alongside Ben Paton who worked with the Radials at Bewl Valley Sailing Club (see picture above). We had a great day despite poor wind, which of course was much better the following day, but that’s life I guess.

There is now regional training for the Lasers starting next month, and then every month until the Qualifiers start again. I do hope these events will be well attended, and for those who have not met me yet it provides a good opportunity to see me face to face and perhaps arrange some coaching at your home club!

My racing programme now consists of two qualifiers and the Inlands (for both the Radial and the 49er)… Then as the days get shorter, so do the races as we move into the team racing season. (1/10/06)

Tide Ride

The tide ride was a great event for practising boat handling skills, and being held on the largest spring tide of the year, things were always going to be interesting! The course was designed to cause problems, as rather than a simple windward leeward there were two gates in the middle which had to be passed, causing the fleet to slalom downwind. The races were around 20 to 30 minutes, comprising up to four very small laps.

Saturday and the wind was quite fresh (average 18 knots, gusts over 25!); the ripping tide coupled with gusty offshore wind and large chop made things more than a little difficult. Unfortunately whilst trying to avoid a capsized boat near the first gate my crew stumbled back knocking me backwards onto my tiller, breaking it (very funny for everyone except those in the boat), the result being no steering and no racing for us on day one as we epoxied the tiller back together (thanks to Hayling Island for allowing us to keep the drying tiller indoors so it was ready for the next day.)

Day two and the wind went from North Easterly to Southerly and became lighter, meaning flat water, but still plenty of tide. Obviously we were in last place after day one, but we had two races before the final race (which counted double points). We were on a vertical learning curve and in the final race we finished fourth, moving us up to sixth not bad considering we didn’t sail in over half the races!!! (10/0/06)

Boat Handling

Well, September is here already and this means the weather is about to change: the days will be getting shorter and cold, not an issue (get on the water earlier and wear more clothes). However it is likely to get windier (hence the reason Weymouth speed week is in the middle of October, because this is when it is almost guaranteed to be breezy).

So this means the count down is now on for the 49er Qualification series which starts in October. These are usually hard events from many respects, most noticeably the level of competition, but also the conditions. I am pleased to say that all the events are in Weymouth which is just perfect for me! Not only does it keep my travel time and expenses down, but I tend to get better rest in my own bed and I can rent my spare rooms out to other sailors…

The priority for September (especially with a new team) is to get the boat handling sorted. In many classes of boats, boat handling mistakes cost places, but in 49ers it can cost races due to the length of time it takes to recover from a capsize and the possible associated gear damage.

Although the principles are the same (on the bear away allow the sails to flap, keep the boat flat by moving the weight out and back as far as possible), the punishment for getting it wrong (for example heeling to leeward or sticking the bow in a wave) is far more severe then it is in less high performance classes (the 49er can after all be considered the formula one of dinghy sailing).

So the next few weeks it is just a case of going out and practising drills, accelerating off the start line, tacking up the beat, bearing away at the windward mark, gybing and heading up round the leeward mark. Short course exercises which are hard work (especially on the crew!) make the larger courses used in “real” races seem far easier to get round!!! (1/9/06)

Sponsorship

Well, the summer championships are out of the way for another year, so it is already time to start thinking about next season with the Qualifiers starting in October. One issue I really need to address for next year is a campaign sponsor. I have had great support from both Typhoon and Harken. Typhoon provides my sailing clothing and I provide feedback on the kit and may also be looking at helping developing some new items. Harken provides my hardware. In the 49er it is vital to have the best blocks and cleats as this really makes a difference to how the systems run and any slight improvement is a real race winning advantage. I once again provide feedback, suggesting which blocks to use and where. Both sponsors obviously feature on this website which has hundreds of hits a week and get their products seen when I am out racing, which is a lot of the time!

However one of the limiting factors in my campaign has been resources. I have always gone to great effort to make the very best use of my time and money. Finance certainly doesn’t buy success, but it helps! One of the things I would really like to do is more regattas next year. This however greatly increases the running costs as you need to race with good equipment, meaning buying more new sails and masts plus the cost of travelling, staying away from home and entry fees. However, going away to race has real advantages, you get to race against top teams at different venues, which is a great way to learn. Also it helps improve your World ranking, which is based on your best seven regattas. So the more regattas you do, the more likely you are going to move up the rankings!

A sponsor can gain a great deal. I currently fund myself through coaching, so I am very used to speaking in public and making appearances, which I do through the sporting champions scheme (where I visit schools to promote sport to children). So providing talks and other hospitality is certainly not a problem. Promotion also comes through the web site. There is also plenty of space on both my van and sails to stick logos. This is the beauty of having a white panelled van and a boat with very large see through sails! Sailing is a great sport to be involved with. It is something team GBR excels at, consistently being the top sailing nation and it has just the right image, athletic, environmentally friendly, and exciting sport. The 49er really is the formula one of sailing (being the fastest dinghy) and provides truly spectacular images! (I have been getting professional pictures and video which can be used in promotion). (27/8/06)

Radial National Championships

Straight after the Radial Worlds was the Radial Nationals. This was great timing, just enough time to get over jet lag. Unfortunately the light winds continued and we had just one day of hiking breeze and sailed only six of the scheduled twelve races. The event went down to the wire and although I was very pleased to win the event I felt it was hard on Steve Cockerill who went into the final race (after the qualification series) in joint first with me (tied on points, with four wins). Steve had a poor final race, as the breeze filled in from the left (where I was) whilst he was hard right. He was forced to count the result which caused him to drop to seventh overall which seemed very harsh.

With just one final race which everyone was forced to count, it was almost like the medal race they have at the Olympic regattas (which is a non-discardable race which carries double points) and the quality of fleet effectively triples since the top third from the qualifying fleet are put in the gold fleet (the next third silver, last third bronze…) So it really was a high pressure race and perhaps unsurprisingly, the top six in the final race finished as the top six in the overall standings. The person I felt especially sorry for is Charlotte Dobson who got black flagged in the final race. (18/8/06)

Radial World Championships

Well fourth place is always disappointing but considering I had a neck injury it as a good result, so despite being beaten off the podium on tie breaker I was pleased to have attended the 2006 Radial World Championships. For one thing it gave me a chance to visit the US and also helped me understand how to deal with long haul flights, jet lag etc. Something I will need to consider as the 2008 49er Worlds is in Australia in January…. Not really so far away!

Despite only racing the Radial at the Qualifiers and a few opens (no international competition) I only missed the podium in the final few boat lengths when the regatta winner lost concentration and sailed into some kelp allowing the second place boat to overtake him on the line and therefore beat me on tie breaker! It seems the wrong way round but I am sure the World Championships has been a good practice regatta for the Nationals!!!

The eventual winner was well deserved, excelling in the marginal hiking conditions which we had for four out of six days. If the event had been slightly windier who knows what could have happened. On the only day of flat hiking I was first and second to the windward mark with the event winner finishing late twenties/early thirties. The Dutch sailors in 2nd and 3rd also sailed extremely well and I particularly felt for Steven Le Fevre who lost the event in the final race, despite putting together a superb regatta. (4/8/06)

Laser Club Sailor Championships

I often feel that I spend all my time working with the “aspirational” sailors, that is sailors who aspire to be in the Youth, European, World or even Olympic teams! So in June it was really nice to give some of my time to the club sailors, who actually make up over 90% of the UKLA membership!

One weekend a year (this year June 17/18) the Laser class has the club sailor championships. This means no hot shots allowed (if you have ever been in an RYA team or are a top ranked sailor you are not allowed to enter).

I was on the jury boat over the weekend, providing coaching. Very nearly a hundred sailors took part and I gave a talk to a packed club house using video I had taken. Very different from a de-brief I would have been giving at the Radial Europeans, which was also taking place that weekend.

The sailors who probably get the least coaching and probably need it the most are those sailors who sail at club level, so I certainly had a rewarding weekend. It was especially nice to get so many emails of thanks! In terms of my 49er Campaign it certainly made me think about the things which are really important, and therefore should take priority when training.(1/7/06)

Radial Qualifiers

Although the Radial “qualifiers” do not allow me to qualify for anything, (the grants are for Youth and Women sailors only, and the Men’s events are open entry), I still think they are well worth my attending. For a start I am the UK Laser Class (UKLA) Training Officer, and it gives me a chance to communicate with the fleet: they can ask me any questions, and it makes it easier for me to set up training.

Also, when I have been coached, I have always preferred coaches who are or have recently performed well in the class. Not only do they understand the current “fast” way of doing things, but it is also an issue of respect for their knowledge. That is why I feel it is good for me to attend the UK events.

The other reason for continuing to sail the Radial is that the tactics involved are extremely different from that of 49ers, so I do not want to forget! The good thing is since the Radial became an Olympic class (for Women) not only has the size of the fleet increased (around 200 boats at the Nationals) but the depth of talent has come on in leaps and bounds!
At the end of the 2005/2006 season (the last Qualifier counting towards the Worlds was on the May 6/7), I was first overall on the UK rankings counting only firsts (with event wins at Tees and Hartlepool, Paignton, Swanage and Pwllheli).

I have previously been a training partner for top Female sailors (including the representatives for 2000 and 2004 games) and this is something I would be happy to do again. The advantage of having a Male training partner is obviously there is no competition between the sailors (as a Female number two sailor could resent being a training partner if she feels she should be racing in the event herself!) I am also a similiar weight to most of the girls! (1/6/06)

Hyeres Regatta

Olympic sailing is all about the regattas. By constantly attending high quality regattas you can improve your consistency of performance at major regattas. This is especially important if you spend four years of your life working towards just one regatta.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) grades the regattas in order of importance. After World and European Championships come grade one regattas (then grade two, three etc.) The first grade one event in Europe each year is the Semaine Olympique Francaise which is sailed in Hyeres and often referred to as the Hyeres regatta. This is where I have been this month.

The level of competition at these events is very high with the majority of sailors fully sponsored professional teams sailing more or less full time. There are some amateur sailors but they usually struggle to be competitive. If you hope to do well at the World or European Championships you should attend Hyeres, Holland and Kiel regatta (the three European grade 1 events) as part of your preparation.

Although the competition has only 6 race days it is important to get out early and get familiar with the conditions. So actually I spent more days there training than racing! For the first few training days the wind was 8-16 knots which was perfect! I worked with a couple of Dutch teams, so there were three boats for tuning runs. This seemed to be a good arrangement and I was more than happy with our speed.

We were fresh and ready when the regatta started and got through measurement with no issues. The format of the event was three days of split fleet racing (two equal ability and size groups), two days of finals races (gold and silver fleet, based on split fleet racing) and one day of medal races (for the top ten boats).

Unfortunately on this occasion we were unable to make the gold fleet but had an extremely productive regatta, which left us with lots to take home. It is always good to sail against a quality fleet. Our next event is the grade one Holland regatta, sailed in Medemblik in May. (1/5/06)

Boat Work

High performance sailing and “boat work” are two terms which go hand in hand! Quite simply the boats are difficult enough to sail without making them any more so… This is especially true of the 49er! (which is after all the Olympic High Performance Skiff)

The crew’s job is an especially hard one, and if as much friction can be reduced from the system as possible, not only can the crew function better (faster kite hoists and drops), but also for longer (since fatigue is delayed) and the chance of mistakes due to tiredness are reduced.

Races are won and lost on boat handling, and there should be no unforced errors due to gear problems. Not only is any breakage expensive in terms of losing position in a race but one small breakage of a line or shock cord can lead to a much bigger, more expensive breakage.

As I have said, boat preparation is crucial to success and this is what I have been spending a large amount of time on, prior to the major regattas. Every block has come off and been resealed and all the key blocks (those taking halyards and sheets) have been replaced.

In terms of rope I have replaced every line on the boat, often reducing diameter and therefore friction. For hardware I have been using Harken, which produce small light blocks which can handle high loads for example. Weight is a big issue when it is right at the top of the mast! Likewise the Carbomatic ratchet blocks have been very effective, enabling me to reduce sheet diameter.

All the fixtures like the toe straps go through holes in the boat. To ensure the tightest fit I have drilled these out, filled them with epoxy and then drilled the minimum bolt size. The idea is to keep the weight to the minimum whilst providing secure and comfortable straps right at the back of the boat.

This technique has also been used for the elastics which hold the trapeze lines, so once again due to reduced friction the diameter of shock cord may be reduced. Shock cord provides many little systems, such as those which hold the spinnaker sheets in upwind and the mainsheet in downwind. However perhaps even more so than rope, they regularly need to be replaced.

I have also taken the opportunity to splice two spares of all the ropes for the boat, so I have rope the correct diameter/length already to use when needed. The WPNSA provides a great facility and I am extremely grateful to be able to do all my boat work, which took over a week, in the relative comfort of the hanger (with the company of Radio one). (1/4/06)

Team Racing

I love sailing, and while I am putting things together for the 49er campaign I have tried to get as much time on the water. Unsurprisingly it is hard to persuade people to go sailing in the snow and a bitter North Easterly breeze, and it is perhaps not the most constructive conditions to train in!

Team racing is short and sharp and is all about boat to boat tactics. Race strategy does not even come into it as the legs are so short, and fitness is also not relevant because you never hike for more than a few seconds, which is ideal for getting back into sailing after a break. The quick races are also great for the near arctic conditions we have been having recently.

My main source of income for my sailing comes from coaching. This is the main reason for my racing radials (apart from the fact a change can make a good rest) I think it is a good thing to race the boats I coach. I work with the University team racing and so I feel I should do half a dozen events a year. This actually fits in well around the 49er Calendar with most of the events I do between November and February, which unless you travel abroad, is the quiet end of the season.

Although I have now finished my team racing until the Magnum in November (invitational event hosted by Oxford University at Farmoor reservoir), I feel I have got the tools in the toolbox for any close boat to boat racing we may have, something which is increasingly likely now we have the medal race at the end of regattas. My knowledge of the rules is currently excellent (in team racing the rules are used offensively whereas in fleet racing they tend to be used only defensively). (1/3/06)

The Europa Cup Series

In 2005 I was working with a new 49er crew, and felt it was not worth attending the international events until our boat handling was up to scratch. From past experience I knew it could be extremely frustrating to race when you were not fully prepared and the blow to confidence and finances were not to be wished for. In addition my time could be much better put to use training at Weymouth, which is a truly excellent place to go 49er sailing.

However I felt that I should try and do some international sailing, so as to keep up my regatta practice over the summer. The Radial Europa cup is a series of events around Europe which are cheap to enter, easy to get to and provide good quality racing with large fleets. I chose the regattas I would attend to fit in with my coaching and 49er training, and I completed two trips.

My first trip did not start off so successfully with little wind in Switzerland and even less racing. Although my boat speed seemed good, the race strategy could be likened to playing the National lottery. Although I actually led several races I had obviously not bought the winning ticket as I invariably chose the wrong side of the final beat! Next stop was Italy and once again we sailed only two races, as the regatta was cancelled due to the death of the Pope. With one good result and one poor result I could not draw many conclusions apart from the fact that I was not getting a good hours driving to hours racing ratio!

I now headed further south and completed a few days coaching which pretty much paid for the trip. I must have learned something from the coaching as the next regatta in Slovenia I won every race, which was good since we raced in everything from 3 to 30 knots! I also managed to arrange a boat for the Europeans which were due to be held in Slovenia. From there I made the long drive home just in time to make the Plymouth Qualifier!

Trip two was somewhat better from the racing point of view: mixed conditions in Germany saw me win my second regatta despite an inconsistent performance. I managed to get away from the chasing pack by winning two races on the difficult off shore wind day. From Germany I went to Austria. After my experience of sailing in the Swiss Lakes I was not looking forward to it, but despite the wind being light for the entire event the racing was good, with the race officer making the best of the conditions. A second place here gave me the series (best three results: 1, 1, 2) meaning win a new sail and I have free entry to the Radial World Championships this year.

The Europa cups were a good grounding and I went on to finish 4th at the Europeans which was a tough event with the wind not really playing the game. With racing one day and then one day off (of the six race days we had only three) we had a lot of waiting around. In 2006 I will not be attending the Europa Cups as I feel I need to devote more time to my 49er sailing. However I may well be coaching at some of the events as I obviously know all the venues! (1/1/06)