Sailing Away

 

I start the day, as every day, with a bowl of Greek yogurt, berries and granola and a plate of bacon and eggs. I like a simple routine in the mornings. I live close to the water so it’s a quick bike down to the sailing center to get ready for a day of sailing. It’s the 20 of January 2014, a Monday, and the biggest event of my life is just one week away.

 

The sailing season is built around a series of events called the Sailing World Cup. There are five events in the series – Melbourne Australia, Miami USA, Qingdao China, Palma Spain and Hyeres France. At the end of the year the top 20 boats go on to compete in the Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

 

Few sailors around the world will compete in all of these events simply because it would entail a very heavy travel and racing schedule. As a sailor campaigning on a limited budget, I certainly do not fall into that category either. However, for Canadians, the event in Miami has a special significance. Our individual level of funding from the government is determined by our status on the Canadian Sailing Team. In the Laser Class, in which I sail, there are six boats accepted onto the team. The event in Miami is used as the qualifier with the top six Canadian boats earning spots.

 

Today, one week before the first day of racing, is the start of final preparations for the event. I have been in Miami, for the most part, since November training specifically for this event. Sailing is a sport that is heavily influenced by the environment and every venue promises its own unique features, be it wind patterns, wave heights, etc. It is, therefore, very beneficial to spend time at a venue prior to competing there; not to mention it is too cold to sail in Canada at this time of year!

 

For the past few years I have been on the cusp of the national team but have fallen a few spots shy each time. This year, I know it will be my best opportunity yet and my confidence is high after a very successful few months of training. I’ve found that one of the most important aspects of performing at an event is having confidence in your training base. Knowing that you have put in the work makes it a lot easier to go out and execute once the racing counts. This year, with the help of my coach and training partners on the Ontario Sailing Team, I am very confident in the work we’ve put in and can’t wait to start racing.

 

The week before a big event takes on a different flavour to normal training. Sailors from around the world have gathered in Miami to tune-up before the event. Today I’ll head out with the team and join in with a large group of international sailors in some practice races. A normal training day usually means three hours on the water training one specific skill; for the next few days though, training will take on a more relaxed feel as I begin to taper down towards the event. Today my session lasts for two hours.

 

Post sailing – after a quick debrief to discuss the day’s racing – I head out on an hour-long bike ride. I have a trainer who prescribes my daily fitness schedule. Today the ride is at full intensity with an eye towards peaking for the event. The next four days follow the same pattern. A short sail and an intense bike ride or circuit workout in the gym.

 

On Friday, the routine changes again for the final preparations towards the event. Like any sporting event, the focus is on rest and recovery and making sure that my equipment is in perfect condition for Monday. If I go sailing it is only for an hour or so to keep the mind sharp. Otherwise, my primary concerns are my boat and my body. Keeping out of the sun and well hydrated is a priority.

 

Monday morning starts as any other day, a bowl of Greek yogurt, berries and granola and a plate of bacon and eggs. The difference today, and it’s a significant one, is that the racing counts and there is a lot riding on these results.

 

The winds today are light and the waters of Biscayne Bay flat and calm. We complete only two of the scheduled three races for the day due to the light winds. I feel I sailed reasonably well in each, finishing 22nd and 14th respectively.

 

The second day is a carbon copy of the first, but we only manage one race in which I finished 14th. I am happy with these results as they put me in a good position moving forwards and sitting as the 4^th Canadian overall. However I am aware that I have made some significant tactical mistakes in each race and am eager to move up the leader board in the coming days.

 

After waiting around all of Wednesday for wind that never arrived, the qualifying series is pushed to Thursday. The qualifying series is used to sort the large fleet into gold and silver fleets for final races of the event. On Thursday I start the day knowing that I need one good race to ensure my standing in gold fleet and likely my place on the team.

 

The start is the most important part of any sailing race. The cliché “you can’t win the race, but you can certainly lose it” applies well to the start in sailing. With that in mind I plan to start away from the congestion of the favoured end of the start line. My start goes well and I find myself near the front heading up the first beat. My boat speed feels good and I manage to round the windward mark in 5th. On the downwind, my specialty, I move into 1st and manage to extend to a sizable lead on the second upwind.

 

Coming into the last upwind mark with a decent gap ahead of the fleet, I knew that this race would be enough to solidify my place within the top six Canadians. At this realization all the anxiety of defending my lead flees and is replaced with exuberance and a feeling of ecstatic relief that my long time goal is about to be realized.

 

The rest of that race was unlike any I had sailed before or since. It was a moment that I knew I would remember for the rest of my life and I was able to enjoy every minute of it. Even when Nick Thompson of Great Britain reeled me in on the last run and dropped me into 2nd place nothing could wipe the smile from my face. I had achieved my goal and was now able, with my funding secured and significantly increased, to continue my campaign towards my ultimate goal of representing Canada at the Olympic Games.

 

The rest of that Thursday, and in fact for the rest of the regatta, the light winds limited us to only one more race. I ended the regatta in 22nd overall, as the 3rd Canadian, to date my best finish at a world cup event. This year, 2015, I approach the world cup season in a different place with another year of experience and a more secure place within the national team. I am looking forward to the year with great excitement and am hoping to take another big step forward on the international leader board.