The RS:X World Championships at Lake Garda ended on a high note for me with a result worthy of qualifying the country for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Garda training with our international team
The event was the second opportunity this quadrennial for nations to qualify for the Olympics; the first being the Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark in 2018. It also marked the second time the RS:X Worlds have been held at Lake Garda – the first ever RS:X World Championships was held at Garda in 2006, and the difference in the level of racing in both men’s and women’s fleets is absolutely incredible to experience. With 106 women prepared for a peak event and lots of big teams in attendance, the fleet quality was the highest of any world championships.
I’m happy and relieved to have qualified the country, as it was a major objective for me this year. Better yet, other North American sailors now have the opportunity to qualify their country at the Miami World Cup, and the pressure on them to win a spot is somewhat lifted. As the North Americans’ level is lower than many other continents, it’s more difficult for us to qualify at these big events. I’m also entering the USA individual selection on a good note, as I placed fairly well at Garda.
Big fleets on the starting line
We had all types of conditions during training and the event, and quite a few classic Garda days. Compared to 2006, with 220 sailors and four huge fleets of competitors, the organizers were more pressed to get in races. For most of the regatta, we arrived at 6:30 in the morning to rig in the dark and cold to catch the “Peler” or gusty, offshore north wind on the lake. Then, if we didn’t get all three races in, we waited ashore until early afternoon to catch the “Ora” or southerly thermal, the classic Garda wind. Garda didn’t disappoint, and although we had a few off-season days of chilly rain, we got enough races in to have a solid championship in a variety of conditions. Racing was tricky, precise and tactical in the big fleets.
Garda mornings – dark, the sun rising behind the mountains illuminating the lake one section at a time
I’m now participating in the Sea Trials for the selection of the 2024 Olympic equipment. Confidentiality is pretty strict here, but I can say that so far the testing has been really, really incredible, and some of the equipment is performing extremely well. Conditions have been both light wind and a few windy days as well, as well as one cold, gusty and extremely windy morning on foil! Riders come from 18 countries and are divided equally by gender. The girls consist of a majority of RSX sailors, and a few who are heavily into slalom and foil. The men also have RS:X sailors involved, but there are more real PWA sailors and some who have done RS:X and are now competing in foil. There is a range of body types and experience, which is great for fair testing.
Representatives from brands are also here to help us with tuning and managing the equipment on the water, and World Sailing is managing the organization and timing of the event. The most pleasant surprise is how unpolitical the event is, and the good spirit everyone has in honestly evaluating all the equipment. World Sailing representatives are very involved and curious about the testing, asking the right questions, and managing debriefings very well every day. They are on the water with us and asking specific questions about tuning, sensations, different formats of racing, and if everyone is happy with the event and having fun. Both World Sailing and the manufacturers’ representatives have been helpful and supportive and I’ve learned a lot from everyone – it makes me really grateful to be here and be part of this amazing sport on this amazing lake. I’ll have a real update later as soon as it’s legit to speak publicly. In the meantime, here’s a small debate to read between two Kiwi superstars’ proposals for 2024.
In the meantime, it’s now time to plan and fund raise for the remainder of the Olympic Trials, which include the Miami World Cup and the 2020 RS:X Worlds. Training before these events will be extremely important in terms of quality and timing, and it’s already difficult to plan out in terms of funding and how the winter will be balanced between work, fund raising, and quality training with a group. It’ll be an interesting time, and I hope to get back to the US at some point! A huge thank you to the individuals who helped me fund this event!
Farrah HALL 