Winter Update and the Clever Pig Sailing Team

I'm really pleased to announce that I'm now a part of the "Clever Pig Sailing Team," a group of sailors who have been awarded grants by the Southport Sailing Foundation (SSF). The SSF is an enthusiastic and active non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth and young adult sailors achieve their competitive sailing goals. They also aim to help these sailors put together more professional campaigns through their website, into which they have put considerable effort.

The Clever Pig Sailing Team includes Rachel Bryer (Laser Radial), Jennifer French and Jean-Paul Creignou (SKUD), Kyle Larsen (Laser 4.7); Sarah Lihan, a Laser Radial sailor on the US Sailing Team, and myself. I am very happy to be the recipient of the SSF's grant. I feel that the foundation has genuine and passionate members who are eager to do what they can to promote competitive sailing. Their quick response and readiness to give advice, help, and promotion to interested sailors signifies commitment to their cause and a true team approach, which is very refreshing. I am proud to represent this wholesome group and will endeavor to do my best to be an ideal ambassador.

Miami training session

Life is progressing fairly smoothly here in south Florida, and I've been doing my best to create a good training schedule. I decided to stay local once again to conserve money for the spring European season, which means my resources are now going to new equipment and coaching in preparation for the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta (OCR). This important regatta determines 2011 US Sailing Team rankings and is the focus of all my resources this month.

My goal this month is to obtain as much focused training as possible, with coaching and video. I am accomplishing this by working with the developmental group of windsurfers as much as possible, under the guidance of Britt Viehman, their coach and friend of mine from St. Petersburg, FL. I attended two of the development camps in Miami and Cocoa Beach, FL, and am also working with Britt individually in Miami leading up to the OCR.

Having focused goals means that I selected just a few aspects of my sailing to improve. In this case, using Britt means I can work on the most "developmental" and basic part of my sailing: pointing upwind in light wind. This seems very basic, but for me, because of too many variations in instruction or having no instruction at all, I have always struggled with light wind concepts. "Pointing upwind" also includes work on pumping, acceleration, steering, and other more minute details. We are making good progress, and slowly eliminating one of the weakest areas of my sailing. I am happy that I can finally begin to put my fitness to good use, and I'm looking forward to finally out-pumping my competitors at the Miami OCR.

Repairing equipment