Regatta Wrap-Up: ILCA-NA Pacific Coast Championships
Sorry for the delay on this wrap-up, life has been busy and the days are flying by!
I was so happy to be racing at home again at Coronado Yacht Club for this regatta as there’s nothing like getting to sleep in your own bed, taking long showers in your own bathroom after a full day of sailing, and eating good food with little to no risk of upsetting your digestive system during a regatta! Plus, friends got to come watch me sail!
Another plus of sailing at home: Ken was on the water and took a ton of great action shots!
San Diego Bay came to play again and we had good wind throughout the regatta! I took both the full day skills clinic on Thursday and the regatta from Friday through Sunday as an opportunity to really practice racing on the edge. I was really working on aggressive starts, hiking full out (see above picture), and really pushing the limits…which led to a few capsizes and a couple general recalls (oops.)
This meant I didn’t score as well as I could have if I had sailed more conservatively, but it was super helpful to work on finding the absolute limit in my “new body” and in actual regatta conditions. This will hopefully pay dividends in the bigger upcoming events like US Nationals, Kiel Week, and the North American Championships.
After day 1 and the first three races of the Pacific Coast Championships, I was in 7th overall and was the number 2 woman. I finished the regatta in 11th overall and the number 5 woman after ten races. Much of that drop was due to the couple capsizes and generally lighter air on Sunday. Those lighter air conditions are tough on the downwind legs when racing against 13-16 year old kids who are at the very bottom of the ideal weight range for the ILCA 6 at around 135 pounds. No excuses though, I’m working hard to narrow those gaps.
Next Steps
After four straight days on the water I went right back to Pilates of Coronado at 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning. I also did that every day since! I’m training my core as hard as possible to get up to the level of the competition in Mallorca! Beyond Pilates, you’ll find me on the bicycle all around town and I’m on the hiking bench in my living room practicing hiking full out every evening. (I’m trying to hold it for a full Bluey episode as the kiddos watch TV, will rest for a minute, then do it again for the next episode. Training while spending time with the kiddos.)
I have also, thanks to your generous donations, been able to secure an on-the-water coach for the US Nationals! I’m trying to set up a week-long training camp with that coach sometime soon as well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity!
If you haven’t yet donated and would like to help me train, get new sails, get coaching for the North American Championships, and/or get to Kiel Week, I still need about $13,000 to make this all happen! Just click the link below to donate and get your tax deduction! Thanks for fueling the Second Wind!
Onward and upward,
Lauren
Getting ready for the next start! 3, 2, 1…in sequence!
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