I can’t believe that we pack up the containers for Darwin on Saturday! I can’t wait to get out on the gorgeous waters of Fanny Bay for the Tasar Nationals! It is just over two weeks until we fly ourselves which is awesome!
Our training is in full swing, even though the weather hasn’t been crash hot. Last weekend we were so lucky to have another two days of solid training. Happy to take the small wins when we can!
On Saturday 16 June, we did theory with our group and Simon for most of the morning (setup, strategy and rules) as our boats filled up with rain. Shortly after lunch a breath of wind started to fill. We had to drain our boats before heading out, but ended up doing close to three hours on the water. The breakdown was tuning followed by start after start after start, and some races. I was really happy with our communication and the good starts that evolved out of that whole process. It was great to “play” with the other boats after working so hard on our starts alone the weekend before. We managed to consistently finish second in all of the races that I steered which was great. Dad also had a steer, but we won’t mention his result! Myself and those around me can see the small improvements, even across a day’s training session – which is fantastic! The small wins make it easier for me to have confidence in our end goal. I am well aware, that sailing, like so many sports is a game of inches.
On Sunday morning I was lucky enough to attend Laura and Chris Caldecoat’s Aussie wedding which was fantastic, just to see how happy they both are, but also to chat about the sailing that has been happening over in Europe. I am so excited for Laura and Krystal in the lead up to London! They have both worked incredibly hard, and not given up on any inches. Now, in the next few weeks, it is all about bridging the gap to bring home a medal! I believe they are capable of making the small improvements that will ultimately make the biggest differences!
I rushed off post brunch reception to get in a session down at Woollahra with Hugh Tait and Sophie Holt. Counter to our consistent rain and lack of breeze, we were blessed with not only sunshine, but 20 knots from the West! We only lasted two hours, doing laps from shark up to the NC buoys – and taking turns running and reaching down hill. We are quick on every leg of the course, except directly down hill where we are good – but not brilliant. One of our biggest issues down hill is getting Dad to sit still, which involves primarily his confidence in my abilities. Unfortunately, the below ejection was not one of those moments! Hesitation is never a good thing! But my goodness it was entertaining and I would rather get it out of the way now! I am trying to get a video together at the moment of training bloopers – will keep you posted!
This week I have been down in Canberra for work – and I have added push ups whenever I can think about it to my fitness plan! My arms were not strong enough for Sunday and the traveller. We were noticeably faster on starboard tack when I was using the traveller with my right arm. I didn’t realise it was so dominant in terms of strength. No win will come if I am not fit enough to sail with symmetry! It may be so small it isn’t visible to most, but will bring massive gains, especially in breeze.
A big thanks to Zhik again for the gear they have provided for all our sailing this winter, and to load into the container for the regatta up North. Zhik is a big part of every aspect of our sailing. A company that has taken their own small wins to great heights! Amazing how similar a sailing campaign is to business when you really look at it! Preparation, research, planning, strategy, systems and training all add up to aid the execution of objectives. It is the small steps that make up the bigger picture.
We are heading out this weekend after the container packing on Saturday from Woollahra, and also Sunday morning. Hugh and Sophie will be joining us to make sure we are staying on track, and no doubt to keep learning themselves. We have definitely gotten them up to speed! Look out Darwin! We have learned a lot from each other, and my learning curve on the helm has been steep to keep up! Definitely not a small win having a great team to train with! A big thanks to Hugh and Sophie (and Dad too while I am thanking people) for their dedication and friendship; helping me take the small wins to keep up with my rather large dreams!
Hope you all enjoy and achieve many things this weekend, whether great or small!
