The event was an interesting experiment for us. Due to shipping delays beyond our control we were forced to receive our trailer and boat less then 24 hours before the start of the first race. We couldn't really expect to have exceptional results without proper preparation, or maybe we would, that was the interesting part. Due to the circumstances we got to see just how our pre event training and preparations affect our performance and results.
We had a great opening leg to the first mark - maybe we weren't so far off the pace after all. We rounded 4th set spinnaker and raced downwind. Preparation started to catch up on us. Having not sailed since our worlds nearly a month and a half ago, mistakes started to happen. We started to loose ground in maneuvers and transitions, loosing boats when typically we would hold strong. It was in the details that we noticed that we where a little off and when competing on at the top international level, every inch counts. We struggled through the event but progressed each day ramping up to our old form. We did manage to pull a strong race together in race #4, it was important for us to be in the front again and gain some confidence crossing the line in 4th . As frustrating as it was to be placing worse then we had since our initial union, this race was proof that we just needed to be patient and get back to form. Oskar and I have been sailing together exactly 2 years as of January, many of the teams we compete against are in double didgets, some having sailed together upwards of 12 years. This highlighted our necessity to properly train prior to events, those teams can jump in and sail well, they can draw from years of working together. We can run head to head with anyone, but we need to be ready.
We ended off the event on a high note, capturing our third career race win at a grade 1 championship, taking home a 1st place in race 10. Now with the bugs worked out we look forward to carrying that momentum into the next event, the Tornado North American Championships.
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