For me, the first regatta of the calendar year has traditionally been in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Known in the past as the Ft. Lauderdale OCR (Olympic Class Regatta), this event has been recently revamped and is now one of several in a series called the US Open Sailing Series (USOSS). This year, I finished 10th in the three-day event. I finished 17th at the same event last year, so this marks an improvement, although it must be noted that there was a stronger international presence the previous year.
Unfortunately, we were only able to race on two out of the three planned days (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) as a strong front passed through on the second day, and racing had to be called off. Thankfully, no tornadoes touched down on the Atlantic coast, although we were under a warning for most of the day.
The regatta began on Saturday with light winds, and we managed to get two races off later in the day. I got called for rule 42 (pumping) on the final downwind of the first race, costing me a few places.
On Monday, there was more wind, but it was coming directly from the west, which means shifty conditions in Ft. Lauderdale. I got called again for rule 42 (pumping) in the first race, meaning I had to retire.
Although I fell short of my goal of finishing top 6, I am happy with how I battled back from this adversity, and I know that my current results do not reflect my capability.
Following this regatta, I had a couple of weeks to polish up my fitness and a short break at home before I headed to Europe to begin the lead-up to worlds in May. I am now on my way to Portugal, where my next event will be the 4th Portugal Grand Prix Round 2, starting on the 19th of February.
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These back issues are a great read for anyone curious about the journey from junior club sailor to Canadian Sailing Development Squad athlete.