A Winter Focused on Racing
The next few months will be focused on racing in several classes, alongside our 49er training. We'll spend much of the winter on the road, with time in Florida, a training camp in Portugal, and a return to Long Beach. The racing calendar is taking shape; some of the travel between events is still being worked out.
Getting Started in the VX One
We recently had a gap in Long Beach when 49er training didn't fit the schedule and a VX One was available. We used that time to get familiar with the boat ahead of its first World Championship.
The VX One feels different from the other boats we sail. It has plenty of performance, but the stability from the keel makes it more comfortable than we expected. Those first days were a chance to learn the controls and get a feel for the boat before racing it.
Crew weight is one of the questions we're working through. We're starting with the two of us at Nationals, then assessing whether a three-person setup makes more sense. We'll also be sailing a different boat at Nationals from the one we plan to use at Worlds, so there is still equipment and setup work to do.
Using Nationals to Learn
We're not going into VX One Nationals with a result target. We need time in the fleet to understand the boat, evaluate our crew setup, and see where we need to improve. Jackson Benvenuti has also warned us that the lake venue can be difficult to read. That gives us another reason to keep our expectations open and pay attention to what is happening on the day.
The plan is to build experience through Nationals and the VX One Winter Series before Worlds. We'll be fitting that racing around our other commitments, including the J/70 Bacardi events in Miami and the 49er program.
The Rest of the Winter
Our schedule includes a Portugal training camp with the Canadians, as well as more Melges 24 sailing aboard Wah Gwan with Anthony. Grant has Etchells racing planned with Eric Doyle and John Dane and then we will both hit the water with team Progress in the J/70. We also plan to get back into the 49er in Long Beach to prepare for Palma.
There won't be much time between some of those events. The VX One Worlds fit into a particularly tight stretch around Palma, and the time at home over Christmas is still uncertain.
More Repetitions on the Racecourse
This schedule reflects the next stage of our campaign. After focusing first on boat handling and then on speed, we need more racing: more starts, more decisions in traffic, and more opportunities to work through a series together.
Sailing other classes doesn't replace time in the 49er. It gives us different situations to learn from and experienced teams to sail with. Our job is to understand what carries back to our own boat, and to put those lessons into practice when we return to it.
The next few months will be focused on racing in several classes, alongside our 49er training. We'll spend much of the winter on the road, with time in Florida, a training camp in Portugal, and a return to Long Beach. The racing calendar is taking shape; some of the travel between events is still being worked out.
Getting Started in the VX One
We recently had a gap in Long Beach when 49er training didn't fit the schedule and a VX One was available. We used that time to get familiar with the boat ahead of its first World Championship.
The VX One feels different from the other boats we sail. It has plenty of performance, but the stability from the keel makes it more comfortable than we expected. Those first days were a chance to learn the controls and get a feel for the boat before racing it.
Crew weight is one of the questions we're working through. We're starting with the two of us at Nationals, then assessing whether a three-person setup makes more sense. We'll also be sailing a different boat at Nationals from the one we plan to use at Worlds, so there is still equipment and setup work to do.
Using Nationals to Learn
We're not going into VX One Nationals with a result target. We need time in the fleet to understand the boat, evaluate our crew setup, and see where we need to improve. Jackson Benvenuti has also warned us that the lake venue can be difficult to read. That gives us another reason to keep our expectations open and pay attention to what is happening on the day.
The plan is to build experience through Nationals and the VX One Winter Series before Worlds. We'll be fitting that racing around our other commitments, including the J/70 Bacardi events in Miami and the 49er program.
The Rest of the Winter
Our schedule includes a Portugal training camp with the Canadians, as well as more Melges 24 sailing aboard Wah Gwan with Anthony. Grant has Etchells racing planned with Eric Doyle and John Dane and then we will both hit the water with team Progress in the J/70. We also plan to get back into the 49er in Long Beach to prepare for Palma.
There won't be much time between some of those events. The VX One Worlds fit into a particularly tight stretch around Palma, and the time at home over Christmas is still uncertain.
More Repetitions on the Racecourse
This schedule reflects the next stage of our campaign. After focusing first on boat handling and then on speed, we need more racing: more starts, more decisions in traffic, and more opportunities to work through a series together.
Sailing other classes doesn't replace time in the 49er. It gives us different situations to learn from and experienced teams to sail with. Our job is to understand what carries back to our own boat, and to put those lessons into practice when we return to it.