Miami!!!!

January is a very important part of my training each year. I peak every year for the last week of January, for the World Cup Miami. The World Cup Miami is used by the US Sailing Federation as the qualification for many things. This year it was not only the way to qualify for the national teams, but also for the Pan American Games.

The weekend before is generally a MLK weekend regatta that serves as a warm up event for the World Cup event. This year I really showed how much I have improved in the past 5 months. I was able to post some great scores, including a 3rd! I really felt like I was racing at my full capabilities the first 2 days. The final day I had some problems, but it is clear what I have to work on now. I finished 4th and was ahead of some talented sailors that I have previously struggled to be ahead of.

At the World Cup Miami I also raced well. We had 5 days of racing with a day of very strong winds and days with moderate wind and a day of almost no wind. I was able to be rounding the top mark in the top ten often. In the gusty conditions it was very difficult to maintain that position and I would lose, but I know what I have to work on and I am learning a new mindset to have when going down wind when the wind is so shifty and gusty. Unfortunately I was mentally exhausted the final day and dropped in the rankings. I tried to come back in those races and pumped the entire race without rest, but sometimes that is not enough.

I was not able to place as well as I had hoped amongst the Americans, but I have shown how much I have improved. This was not the true goal. The true goal is to qualify for the 2016 Olympics and that is where I must focus. I have made huge improvements in the past 5 months and have 12 more months to improve. I sailed very well and have recommitted myself to training full time for one more year; to qualify myself to represent the US as the sole female windsurfer at the 2016 Olympic games. The next 12 months will be focused on fighting my way up the ranks to the top. I am very excited! I came out of this regatta disappointed in my results, but energized by the major improvements I have made!

Thanks for 2014 and Here's to 2015!

Some highlights of 2014!

• Joined the Quebec International Windsurfing Team as a full-time member and have made huge improvements!
• 3rd Woman and 11th overall Kona World Championships
• 4th at RS:X North Americans and the Pan-American Games country qualifier, Cancún, Mexico
• Graduated from Eckerd College Phi Beta Kappa with Honors.
• 1 of 10 named to the 2014 Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Second All-Academic Sailing Team. 
• The ICSA All-Academic Sailing Team recognizes those scholar athletes who have proven themselves to be highly competitive academically and in national competition.
• A wider expansion of my Olympic Family, thanks to the Styron family, Morretti-Lee family, and Herring Run Kitchens and Provisions.
• 5th Woman at RS:X Nationals, Miami
• 14th at the World Cup Miami
• Made the US Sailing Development Team Sperry Top-Sider, I lost the 2nd spot on the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider by 2 points.
• Had a very successful fundraising campaign to compete in the World Championships.
• Competed in the International Sailing Federation World Championships and Olympic Games country qualifier, Santander, Spain
• 11th at Women's Inter-Collegiate Sailing Nationals.
• A new sail numer; I am now USA39!!!!!

Looking forward to 2015 for the:

• Pan-American Games
• Banana River New Years Regatta
• RS:X Midwinters, Miami
• World Cup Miami and Pan-American Games Qualifier
• The Princess Sofia Trophy, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
• Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, Holland
• RS:X Class European Championships, Siciliy.
• RS:X Class World Championships and Olympic Games country qualifier, Oman.
• And lots more!