ISAF Youth Worlds 2011, Zadar, Croatia

            Five months ago now Sven and I received the message that we had qualified to compete in the ISAF Youth Worlds in Croatia.  Straight away I knew the hours of tough training that would ensue having competed last year already.   We spent the next few months training hard with our coaches, Josh Nixon and Antonio Cozzolino, as well as travelling to England to compete in the British Youth Nationals that I won.  I also competed in Hyeres (a world cup regatta) before returning to New Zealand to perfect our skills before Croatia.  The training in the immediate build up was extremely hard but worth it as I felt I was ready getting on the plane for thirty-six hours of travelling.

            Croatia felt like a world away when we arrived there, with a relatively barren and harsh landscape around the airport.  On a bus with the British it was great to meet up with our old friends heading towards the hotel.  Sadly, unlike last year, the hotel wasn’t extremely close to the yacht club, nor was it shut off to the public so we had to deal with other European tourists, many of which were smokers.  In a room with the 420 girls, I was on the top floor looking out just North of our race areas (which helped predict which weather forecast was right in the mornings).  We spent the next two days doing a lot of swimming outside the hotel; walking along the coastline and we also went for a run.  I decided to buy a volleyball as the resort around the beach had a court, so we ended up playing most evenings.  It was good keeping active before and during the competition and I think really helped our performance.

            On the first day of getting our equipment, Sven and I were one of the first teams there with the Aussies and the Brits.  We got good gear and on the water early; this allowed us to tune up and check the race area before testing of speed against the others.  The practice race the next day went well too in a dying 14 knots as I came 4^th around the top mark in the top pack, but the fleet quickly dispersed and we headed in.  The opening ceremony that evening most definitely out-did any other that I had ever been to – with fireworks, dancers, singers and boats – it was one to remember!  The main downside though was that it went late and we had racing the next morning so a few sailors did not attend.

            The first day of racing boded pretty well for most of the team with the winds starting at about 15 knots – dying to 12 for our race in which I placed 5^th.  Sadly when the wind steadied at 7 knots, the race committee thought it was too light and that we would get more wind the next day.  They were wrong as we had two races in relatively light airs.  At the end of the day I was sitting in 6^th with an 8^th and 7^th placings, still close on points.  The third day I remained much the same with only one race I got 7^th before they abandoned racing for the day – forcing us to be the only fleet to race on the lay-day (the rest day).  Being the most physical class there it made the regatta so much harder and the competitors so much more determined and it came down to raw fitness on the final days.

            The lay-day’s racing was meant to be windier and I was very excited for it but got extremely thrown off my game.  Because the launch ramp was just a bunch of unstable rocks and pebbles I lost my footing and fell over carrying my gear into the water severely damaging my fin but not to the point of being able to replace it.  I scored 11^th in that race and 8^th in the following race.  That evening I think I was the most physically exhausted I have ever been, but eating out that evening with the team really helped me get back on track (especially since the hotel food was horrible).

            The next day we had all the other boats back on the water again so the RS:Xs were racing after the 29ers giving us a break in the morning.  Sven and I hit the water for another killer light wind day in which we both did averagely well, 5^th and 8^th, whilst Sven moved up, I sat at 7^th overall.  It was the second to last race day where I was pushed and sailed my best and worst both in each of the races.  The first two of the day were not too good but with a few hi-lights however I landed a 9^th and a 12^th (my discard).  The last race all my start training with Ian and Josh really came out to show as I decided to start completely at the pin end on port tack whilst the rest of the fleet were all with 10 board-lengths of the committee boat end.  I crossed everyone by 30 board-lengths and due to my upwind tactics I enlarged that gap to most of the fleet apart from one or two other top sailors whom were still the same distance.  Rounding the top mark I found myself in lull but I knew I still had to push harder than everyone else.  My reaching technique was not up to scratch and combined with the fact that the group who rounded behind me getting a gust allowed them to catch right up.  I remained in the top four in the downwind and then I gained positions back to 2^nd.  My next downwind I thought I could plane but it failed as I didn’t have the technique to plane in light winds, nor was I fit enough to keep up the same level of pumping as the other competitors.  I was rolled by one last person on the reach to the finish and ended up 7^th.

            The last race on the last day was finally a windy one.  I was in very close proximity to three competitors around me.  I began to feel that my fin was significantly worse than it was on the first day but I could only ignore it and put more effort in to compensate.  After many general recalls we finally started; I rounded the top mark in 5^th but behind the two people I had to beat to secure my overall position.  I crashed on a gybe in the first downwind but managed to crawl back a few positions to finished 10^th overall.  The French and British girls finished 3^rd and 4^th respectively and the Argentine girl finished 16^th but it wasn’t enough for me to pass her, so I finished 9^th overall.  It was hard to deal with knowing I was a better sailor but it was still good to support my friends whom had won medals.  Following the medal ceremony we went to a fantastic after-party that was run a lot better than last years, it was a good chance to relax after a tough regatta.

            Another Youth Worlds done and dusted, as my youth career draws to an end.  Having spent two years competing internationally on the youth RS:X circuit  this ISAF Youth Worlds was to be the last as I aim to begin racing in the senior fleets this coming summer, starting at Sail Melbourne 2011 followed by the ISAF Sailing Worlds in Perth.

Europe Trip April 2011

            Three and a half weeks on the road now feels like five minutes as I embark on the 26-hour journey ahead of me to get home, however, the Royal Youth Nationals feels like a decade ago. Four members of the 2011 Youth Team (including me) along with our coach were attending as a training regatta in our build up to the ISAFs we all had in mind to test our skills against international competitors in a range of different conditions so to know what we had to come back and work on.

            Hayling Island we quickly found out was extremely tidal and the wind was varying from 1 to 17 knots over the two prep days. The first two days were a mixture of windy and railing conditions leaving me in 10^th on day 3, first girl and first kiwi. My male windsurf counterpart – Sven Pederson – was only a few points behind me and with amazing tactics and racing managed to pull ahead to 8^th by the end of the regatta in extremely light and tidal conditions. I had a mixture of top fives and outer-top tens as the conditions were extremely hard to pick as the tide was going several different ways across the course. Overall I stuck with my same position against the Brits and won first girl and placed 11^th out of everyone. Our laser radial girl, Molly Meech also place first girl and 8^th overall, whilst Michael Cate finished up third in the fleet.

            The regatta had such a variety of conditions and I’m feeling very competitive from the light to the heavy, and although I still have a lot I can work on from it, I’m very happy with my result as I’m sure our whole team was with theirs. After a long drive across London the team dropped me off outside some hotel just outside of Stansted, after waiting outside knocking for half an hour the owner eventually came out and almost had a heart attack when he saw the size of my luggage (as I was carting around my rig bag which was full to the brim of RS:X gear). Another pub dinner and I was on my way from Stansted airport the next day set for Hyeres, Toulon, France.

            Ready to live the French life for the next two weeks I was staying in Le Calypso Hotel 30 metres from the beach and a seven-minute cycle to our launching area. A proper French breakfast every morning I trained for 3 days in the first week as well as exploring the local Centre-Ville and the neighbouring towns. It was harsh learning to keep on the opposite side of the road as well as getting myself organised without having anybody else there.

            Being the first RS:X through measurement opened me up to having a completely free weekend which was especially good as a storm was on it’s way. I spent Friday doing photography for some kiting and windsurfing friends and Saturday getting overcharged for an hour shortboard in L’Almanarre, and exploring around Hyeres on bike. By that evening I was extremely exited to begin the regatta.

            The first day I had one good start, one absolute stunner start and two average starts; sadly the stunner was abandoned. It was such a different experience racing in a large fleet with a very high quality, and I think this shock is what slowed me down, as I didn’t really get into the groove of things until the end of the second day. My first six races included a 33, 31, 34, 36, 32 and a 26 putting me in 71^st overall out of 79. Starting the fourth day I was in the silver fleet hoping now there would be twice as many people behind me; although partly true I still could have been racing better as I got caught up in a couple of incidents where I was in the right which serious harmed my positions ending with a 23 and a 28. I’ve always generally thought my best conditions are light wind, however on the last day we got a half planing race and then a full planing race and I got two top 15 races with a 13 and 14 where the other New Zealanders all got top 10!

            Overall I ended up 66^th which was 27th in silver fleet, I also think I was the 5^th youth, behind two Polish girls and two Israelis. Managed to sneak my way onto a press boat and take photos for the medal race as well which just topped off my trip. I learnt so much from the regatta and met so many new people. Now to head home and put it all to work!

Regattas, teams and training

It's been an extremely busy last couple of months; I've competed in Sail Auckland, the RS:X Nationals and the North Island Champs, all alongside school and work.
Sail Auckland this year was held at Takapuna and we experienced four days of varying South Westerlies going from 4 knots to 24. I averaged the regatta at 10th but with a 5th in the medal race I pushed it up to 9th overall, 8th in the women (7th kiwi), 2nd youth and 1st youth woman.
This was the first of my selection regattas for the ISAF Youth Worlds so I had to keep up the same level of performance or better at Nationals which were held from Manly two weeks later. Everyone was trying to predict the wind for the regatta and you would hear a different forecast everyday but as it turned it was all very light winds except for the first day where we could pump onto the plane downwind. I raced well but with a couple of horror incidents (e.g. a slalom mark wrapping around my fin twice) but I also had a couple of stunners (a first and a second around the top mark in two races) with my best race being a 4th. I finished up 10th overall, 9th woman (6th kiwi), 2nd youth and 1st youth woman. I had won the selection trials and a week later our head coach, Ian, emailed me offering the spot.
Now we've been back training, up and down New Zealand; in a month our team is heading to the Royal Youth Nationals in Hayling Island, UK and then I'm off by myself to the Hyeres event of the ISAF World Cup Tour in the South of France which should be amazing with 52 boards entered so far.
With all this on I've also been working for Starboard Stand Up Padddleboards, instructing and being a photographer at all these amazing events. Photography is great when you're on the water because it opens you up to so many more view-points of the city that most photographers don't get to see and so many more people they don't get to work with, for example we went for an early morning paddle this morning with a gym class and we got out into the harbour as the sun began to appear, and just as it rose Imagine (the super-yacht) came out of Westhaven, it was so beautiful. My photos are available for viewing on my facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/georgia.scho?sk=photos

Cheers all,
Georgia

Past Month's Sailing

Hey all,
It's been a while since my last post; I've been quite busy with sailing and christmas.
Just last month Sandringham Yacht Club hosted the first event of the ISAF World Cup tour, Sail Melbourne. I was lucky enough to be sponsored by Pak'n'Save to attend. It was an amazing trip, got to go all around Melbourne City, to the Vic markets (so much better than Auckland's) and I was just around the corner from Oprah at one point, missed her by 10m. I met at least half of the windsurfing Victoria community who were all extremely nice and I got to demo a bunch of great 2011 JP and Neil Pryde gear (am loving the atlas sail and the 98L freestyle). I even ended up buying a 79L Naish Wave which has been great to use back here in NZ.
When it came down to the racing we had a lot of variable weather, it really was four seasons in one day. Sadly we didn't actually have any highwind days, or planing days for that matter. The last race of the last day we managed to plane just about two downwind legs and half an upwind, truthfully diabolical especially with a non-planing, very wide slalom finish.
Overall I placed 15th women and 4th youth, regrettably a couple of small mistakes put me 20 seconds outside the time limit in the last race and that cost me darely as I was mere points away from getting 3rd. It was all good experience learning what a proper race committee is like at these events and I've come away knowing what I need to work on.
I've had a great christmas and new years and am now back into the swing of training, preparing for Sail Auckland and Nationals, my selection trials for this years ISAF Youth Worlds, NZ's team for the Open Youth Worlds and for the ISAF Sailing Worlds.
It's going to be fun.

Sir Peter Blake Regatta

Wow, what a week it's been! Us youths have been lucky enough to have Bruce Kendall out coaching us but sadly there has been hardly any wind so heaps of pumping. I've also been doing a bit of cross training on SUPs at the beach series as well as catching some waves off Taka reef.
This was all a build up to Torbay's annual Sir Peter Blake Regatta held this weekend. With 14 RS:Xs entered it was a good turn out from our top senior girls to guys racing for their first time. Saturday was scheduled a light nor-easter all day but when we got out to the course a 17 knot squall came through. In the first race we started in the wind but it dropped off again half way up the beat. On the downwind there was some confusion about the course and me and another youth knew what it was so lead everyone correctly. I got rolled by two of the senior girls just before the end and got 4th as they decided to finish us at the bottom mark. The 2nd race I managed a 5th and then a 6th in the last race after a huge final upwind battle with Sven.
Today (Sunday) was a lot crazier; it was predicted a 10knot nor-easter and then spinning to sou-west at 4 and filling in. On the water at 9 we waited in under 5knots for 3 hours until they tried to race us but it was abandoned after 20 minutes of hard pumping. Another 2 hours later the wind spun finally to the SW sea breeze and filled in quite nicely but then dropped off below the planing barrier by the time the course was set. At 3:15 we got our first race started and I was 3rd around the top mark but it was a hard struggle downwind in fluctuating planing conditions and then I was out played by a senior on the last upwind finishing in 6th. With some horrible mistakes I ended up in 8th rounding the top mark in the next race but I caught up to finish 6th again.
It was most definitely one long day and it was good to have support on the water, with a coach there it really helps with keeping your head in a good space over 8 hours!!! Overall I placed 6th behind most the senior girls and one youth guy. I know where and how I went wrong and I also know that I can break into the top 5 and beat the seniors as I have been doing during our trainings but I've just got to begin doing it consistently over regattas.
With one final YNZ training this week I'm gearing up to fly out to Melbourne on Friday for the Sail Melbourne regatta. This is my 2nd proper international regatta so it will be tough and I hope to measure up against the Aussies a bit more and see how I am really going internationally.
I'll keep you updated when I'm over there
Cheers!

NEW ONESHOT GEAR!

So it's been a while. I've had my exams on so have been focussing on that; but now I'm back out on the water almost everyday. On top of that I took my brand new RS:X one shot board and my brand new red tinted sail out for the first time today! The wind was a SW, 10 knots building to 14/15 in some gusts and NE waves...so weird.
Without a doubt the board is amazing (I actually have grip) and it feels fast! The fin I'm not sure about yet; some moments were awesome and I couldn't believe it wasn't spinning out but others it seemed to slip out for no reason... I need a good NE to take it out to test properly in waves. The sail feels a little odd, maybe just the "new sail" feel, but I do have some adjustments to do.
This is all my new gear to take to the Sail Melbourne Regatta, 12-18 of December. I'm planning on using it once or twice in training this week and then next weekend at the Sir Peter Blake Regatta beforehand; then it shall be stored away for a wee while until Sail Auckland and Nationals.
Training on my older board and sail will hopefully teach me to work harder rather than to let the flash gear do the work for me! I'm gearing up for an excitable summer, it should be pretty awesome; 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds campaign is well and truly underway.
Cheers all!
Georgia

WINTER CHAMPS

Hey all,

Today was the last day of the regatta, the wind was going between 11 and 16 knots which made for some difficult downwinds. I almost got piked by an 18 foot skiff at the top mark which was a bit scary, right of way much... The end racing results: 4, (5), 4, 2, 4, 2. I've placed 3rd overall behind Tony and Natalia.

Weldone to the techno fleet for being out there all week training hard, especially to Tauranga lad, Bradley Nixon for taking out this first regatta in the Kendall Cup!

Cheers, Georgia