ILCA 6 Training Ramps Up Ahead of U.S. Olympic Trials
The week of Sept 22-29, training partners Christina Sakellaris and Charlotte Rose joined me and other A1R coaches at the Miami YC to work on technique and boatspeed on the U.S. Olympic Trials race course area.
Coaches Jonathan McKee, Luther Carpenter and Leandro Spina with ILCA 6 sailors Christina Sakellaris and Charlotte Rose
This session kicked off the first of several trips for our sailors in Miami, as the January and February Trials loom, and the sailors hone their techniques, trims, and rhythm in the South Florida conditions. Every location has a certain “flavor and emphasis’ to the sailing conditions, and the Trials racing format rewards those who are fast and confident.
Our ILCA trio has logged a lot of miles together, and we hit the ground running, spending long focused hours on the ocean, grinding away in the predominately 7-11 knots during the week. There is a lot of subtlety to that wind range, with many “thresholds” to note and gear change through, both upwind and down. Every day offered a chance to note the puff/lull sequence, the wind direction, and the wave skew. Notebooks are engaged, and each day was filled with multi-purpose goals!
Coach Jonathan Mckee joined the session for four days, bringing his keen eye and outside perspective to the group. A1R’s squad mentality includes belief in the power of collaboration and sharing for the coaches as well, and it is motivating and educational to share time in the RIBs together. The athletes surely benefit, and it drives a forward-looking group as each picks up little nuggets from the process.
At the end of the week, Christina and Jonathan headed up to Lauderdale YC to practice with Erika Reinke and the rest of the LYC group, while Charlotte boarded a red-eye to Vancouver for training and racing in the NW!
Many thanks to the Miami YC and staff, and the long hours that Christina and Charlotte put in during an exceptionally HOT week of sailing!
“I was really excited to get back out on the water after the worlds in August. I wanted to address some gaps in my upwind technique, so we spent a lot of hours on the water and reviewing video in debriefs. I definitely feel like I gained a detailed understanding of that condition, and feeling fast at the trials venue is a huge positive as well,” said Christina.