2020 SUMMER TRAINING WITH CANADIAN SAILING TEAM

I suspect some of you may be wondering where I have been and what I've been up to over this last little bit. Rest assured, my focus on the goal has not wavered. As for many others, the pandemic has introduced much uncertainty into my plans for the immediate future, including when it will be safe to compete overseas again and where I will train when the weather gets cold. Nevertheless, I remain certain about my longterm goal to ensure a Canadian Laser qualifies for the next Olympics (at the Worlds in 2022.)

As many of you know from my last update, I shifted focus to dryland training and fitness at home this spring when competitions and travel to Europe were cancelled. Missed my update?
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At the end of June, when our team received clearance to train together, I travelled to Kingston for the first Canadian Sailing Team camp after a long period of everyone training apart. We spent a week of long sessions on the water honing our skills and practicing racing again with coach Larry Lemieux.

Sail Canada Coach Larry Lemieux.
PHOTO CREDIT: ©Sailing Energy / World Sailing - 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami

Sail Canada Coach Lisa Ross.

After that, we loaded up the cars and trailers and travelled out to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to train for an extended period with the new CSDS Laser coach Lisa Ross. In alignment with safety protocols, our team completed a 14-day quarantine prior to fitness testing at the Canadian Sports Centre Atlantic and starting daily on-water training on St. Margarets Bay.

Quality coaching is an essential component for continued growth and improvement in this sport and will be critical to get me to the podium. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Sail Canada Team coaches Larry and Lisa. Their depth of knowledge and experience is helping me continue to advance my skills.

Sail Canada continues to expand its role in getting our athletes back to the podium, with initiatives that include providing coaching to developing athletes with Olympic potential. With that in mind, I'd like to share an easy way for you to show your continued support for Canadian High-Performance sailing! In partnership with Helly Hansen, Sail Canada has released this great limited edition supporter's shirt. Lightweight and sweat-wicking, it's perfect for wearing while out on the water or working out. It would also make a great gift!

Click the button below to snag one (plus a tax receipt for your donation) before they are gone.

SPRING TRAINING HAS BEGUN

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON TEAM ROOSTER SAILING GEAR BLOG

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The 2016 sailing season on Lake Ontario has finally kicked off for myself and the Ontario Sailing Team. Anticipation had been building as a mild winter teased us into expecting an early spring, only then to be followed by several weeks of unusually cold and stormy weather. On our first planned training date – Friday April 15th – the conditions on the water were excellent. It was a sunny day with air temperatures reaching 13°C, winds around 10 knots gusting 12 and water temperature near 1°C.
 

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Not only was I looking forward to getting back in the boat, but my new kit from Rooster had arrived a couple weeks ago and this was the first opportunity to try it out. I was particularly looking forward to putting it to the test in spring’s cooler conditions.

As many of you may know, sailing Lasers results in you getting soaked when sailing on a reach or upwind. Of course in cooler spring weather this becomes a problem as without the summer sun to warm you up when you get wet, you get cold and stay cold. I was happy to discover that the Pro Aquafleece top and Supertherm Longjohn were an excellent combination that kept me very warm. Later into the training session, my teammates were getting fatigued because of the cold. My new kit helped me stay warm for longer and allowed me to put my extra energy towards hiking. In fact, those two pieces on top of my usual summer kit kept me warm enough that I chose to wear a visor instead of a beanie which I have worn in past seasons on early spring days.

Sailing in the cold adds another layer to an already challenging sport. Proper preparation to stay warm is very important to maximizing performance. I’m thrilled to be adding Rooster’s comfortable and super warm pieces to my spring gear line up.
 

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