After Spain I went home to recuperate and recover from a cold. After the week, I returned to Quebec. It was cool and got colder. The first weekend was spent just outside of Montreal at a Quebec Sailing Team training camp. Here are some pictures from the off the water component.
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| Running with the baby |
After 10 days of cold weather and finding ice near my board I was happy to make my way down to Florida.
We trained in Clearwater for a week, supporting the youth contingency of the team at the RS:X Youth Worlds. The current is really strong upwind so we did a lot of sailing down wind, an unusual opportunity.
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| Blindfolded Sailing! |
Then we were back to the 'home base' in Cocoa Beach to prepare to the Kona World Championships, but there wasn't any wind so I learned to surf! Surfing is awesome cross training; learning about waves and a great back workout.
Then we were in Islamorada in the Keys at the Kona World Championships.
Kona is a one design long board where no pumping is allowed and sail sizes are determined by weight. Everyone is on the same starting line, providing a unique opportunity to work on tactics. The boards are slower and maneuver like a dinghy, making the class highly tactical. My starts improved dramatically and I learned a lot. I did really well! 3rd amongst women and 11th overall!
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| My coach in 2nd amongst women, myself, and team mate 5th overall A great showing from the Quebec International Team! |
The regatta became a family battle between a Swedish family and mine. Unfortunately, my mom was injured and couldn't compete, but my dad was 3rd overall and my brother won the World Championships!
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| Pumped after we got 1st and 2nd! Andrea Holm is super fast and was one of my training partners last winter! |
Then a crazy thing happened! My training plans suddenly lead me to Maui. My coach was going on vacation to Maui and found an inexpensive set up. I have barely done any wave sailing and have been long intimidated by the idea of waves. I was getting better the previous week in the waves, so Maui waves didn't feel completely out of the realm for me. I felt it was a rare opportunity to go and face the waves with my coach and having no pressure. It was an opportunity to learn from her and be surrounded by people who were at my level or slightly above to give me support in navigating the waves. I went quickly on an 'off-the-books' training trip to Maui. In the end it wasn't such a crazy idea; I learned tons and there were several other top RS:X sailors on the island!
The first week we had no wind so we surfed a bunch, giving me knowledge and confidence in the waves. It translated very well when sailing the following the week.
The first week we surfed for hours daily and did some tourist activities when our noses were full of salt water.
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| always having fun and training! |
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| Sunrise hike on the crater! |
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| tourist trip to see the unusual sighting of Jaws |
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| Lots of gear, great rental package from Kanaha Kai Surf rentals |
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| An amazing day of wave sailing! |
I am so grateful for the trip! I have learned so much about the ocean and have gained so much confidence. It was an invaluable experience. I am so proud of my first day in the waves. Everyone was shocked I was out there because it was considered a big day at Kanaha!
I am back at the 'home base' and will be here for most of the next two months, training for the World Cup Miami, a critical event for all of us. It is looking like great wave sailing conditions tomorrow, can't wait!
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| Wind and waves in Cocoa Beach! |
