That’s a wrap on Grand Prix 4 in Portoroz.
Slovenia and the Adriatic sea is known for it’s beautiful sunny days and a gentle afternoon seabreeze around this time of year. Unfortunately for a seabreeze to create strong winds, there needs to be a change in thermal activity (mixing of temperatures), however as Slovenia and the water around have been warmed for so long, there was no clear temperature differential from day to night. This meant for us and the race committee a challenging week with little wind on the horizon however that didn’t stop us.
The fleet will always push for racing and did an excellent job at doing so – although marginal foiling and I’d argue the hardest conditions in these boats the team had clear goals and went out each day with a clear mind and a focus on learning!
This was the first time racing in the 69F for 3 out of the 4 sailors for our team with Ross Banham, Hebe Hemming and Sophie Otter all doing an excellent job. Being able to keep a learning mindset and not a results focused one is a very powerful skill. Having raced against Ross in the Waszp for years it was about time we joined forces and sailed with each other. Thanks to Ross for stepping on with such late notice, awesome job and looking forward to more!
I (Zac) stepped into a slightly more coach role this race week (although I know I still have a lot to learn myself), trying to help the others keep their learnings high and keep motivation up. Even though Cas wasn’t in Slovenia this week the team could still call on him for some wisdom and guidance when needed, thanks buddy!
With this being my 6th continuous week spending all day (bar travel days) on the water I noticed I was getting slightly tired the start of this event, for me this is where being extra strict with recovery – sleeping 8 solid hours, stretching and mobilising my body and specific breathing exercises all allows me to keep going and performing. Also a good movie and some midday naps between training sessions...
A huge thanks must go to David our 69F Race officer who ran some great races in tough conditions and the 69F committee who have made myself and the team feel a part of the 69F family. Next stop is Torbole for some training and for the next Youth Foiling Gold Cup!
See you soon!
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