Breakthrough in Portimão
Hey all! I am so thrilled to share about my very exciting and rewarding time in Portimão training and competing in the iQFOiL European Championships. After flying to London from Tampa, a seven-hour layover in London, a flight to Faro, Portugal, and a quick hour-long drive, we arrived in Portimão. The next morning, we picked up our gear from a friend who drove it to Portugal from Palma for us, so we didn’t have to fly with it- so nice! I rigged up and hit the water for my first day sailing. It was absolutely gorgeous in Portimão, and the venue was so nice. We were launching right from the beach and all along the shore were huge cliffs with caves, and we even got to explore them in the coach boat one day!
The first two weeks there, I spent training as much as I could with other girls. One of the most valuable parts about these international regattas is the training beforehand as it allows me to sail with a lot of talented girls and do a ton of practice racing. We spent nearly everyday training racing and saw noticeable improvements throughout. We also learned a ton about the venue which is crucial knowledge to apply once the regatta comes.
Finally, it was time to check-in and start competing in my first ever European Championship! The first day of the event brought the prevailing conditions of the venue which also happen to be some of my favorite, about 12-15 knots and small chop. We did four course races, and I had some promising moments but struggled to get off the starting line. The favored way around the course was to start on port which is the direction that you do not have right of way on. So, this means that right as you are starting you must avoid everyone coming towards you and find a gap through those sailors. I do not have a ton of experience with this in such a big fleet, and it is definitely a skill that could use some more work. However, I was able to string together some okay races and ended the day in 44th.
Day two of the event was one for the books. We did 4 upwind sprint races, and I was finally able to connect the dots and not make big mistakes and put down some good results. I was getting off the starting line, making good decisions, and going fast. I skyrocketed up the leaderboard and ended the day in 22nd. Not only is this the best position I have ever been in an event this size, but it also qualified me for Gold Fleet for the first time ever!! This was my big goal for the event as it is a milestone achievement in international racing that proves you can compete with the best of the best and I am so excited to have achieved it.
Unfortunately, there was not enough wind to race on Day 3 of the event so all we did was a lot of waiting and hanging out with friends. Day 4 of the event started with three course races and the first race was excellent. I had a good start, and my upwind speed brought me to the front of the fleet. I maintained my position and managed to finish 15th in my first ever Gold Fleet race!! Unfortunately, the conditions would get more challenging throughout the day and I struggled to compete in the lighter winds and big swell. However, with each challenging day, I learn a lot and identify areas for improvement. Since ultimately this event is not a qualifier for anything, it is simply for learning and being exposed to Gold Fleet racing which was very important for me. Since these girls are the best of the best, there is little room for error and with one slip-up, you can find yourself in the back of the pack.
On the last day of racing, we did three downwind slalom races where the first reach was in 15-20 knots, and the end of the race was in about 4-10 knots. This level of varying conditions is very challenging as it is impossible to set up your gear perfectly for this wide of a range of wind. I also was consistently a tad late on the slalom starts which meant I was not putting up the scores I would have liked. However, once again, I learned a ton and am certainly a better and more knowledgeable sailor at the end of the day.
Overall, this event was a monumental one for my campaign. It marks my first time in Gold Fleet and my best ever result at an international competition of this caliber and size. I am so pleased with the progress I have made just a year into this campaign and cannot wait to continue growing and improving.
Now, I have another week at home and then leave to drive cross-country to Long Beach where I will return to the future Olympic waters to train and compete at two regattas!
