2024 ILCA Australian Open: From the coal face
Chris Tattersall
We thought we would get some insights from our sailors (and parents!) who travelled down to participate at the Nationals. These shared experiences could be particularly useful for our contingent of masters sailors competing in Adelaide next month.
Interview with Brooke Wilson (Australian ILCA6 National Champion):
What was your best race, and why?
I was really happy with my strategy execution in Race 4 of the qualifying. The wind had shifted left and therefore was coming off the land. I made a plan to start at the pin and go hard left, I was able to get a good start and I stuck to my plan and won that race! Given that the left side of the course was advantageous throughout the regatta, the pin end was quite crowded, so I was happy with how I managed my gap on the start line and my acceleration!
What were some of the most challenging things (onshore and/or onwater) that you encountered during the regatta?
Throughout the duration of the week, we got some pretty strange weather which led to some uncertainty and postponements on shore and on the water. I found managing my mindset during these periods of waiting to be quite tricky at times. Especially on the last day of racing when we were delayed getting onto the water and then needed to complete two races (before the 3pm cut off time) to get our second drop of the regatta. I also have a small injury to my wrist so managing that and making sure I was doing everything possible for it not to get worse was a bit stressful.
What was an onshore highlight from the regatta?
Playing spikeball with friends!
What did you learn most from the regatta?
Given that Adelaide is a venue in which the left side of the course is typically favoured, my biggest learning was how disciplined you have to be to get to that left hand side. I did have one or two starts where I accelerated a second late and ended up having to sail in dirty air all the way left until I found a lane. In that sense I guess it was crucial to be patient and remain focused on the bigger picture of the race - that being; staying on the left hand side of the course, even if that means having to sail in dirty air for a few minutes!
Interview with parents Michelle Power (Elouise Morgan's mum), Marian Traynor (Jack Restuccia's mum) and Craig Ryan (Healy Ryan's dad - who also assisted with some coaching in Adelaide):
How did the travel logistics go?
Marian: 15 hrs. Each way. The Hay Plain. So, emus running beside us, a hull on the roof., all the spars in the Ryan rib - aka “Slim Dusty” (thank you!). Flappy straps, but no mishaps apart from a post-drive case of DVT and a trip to Adelaide Emergency for a dedicated sailing dad.
Michelle: Elouise and I flew, so we had it very easy! Josh Becker took several boats. Watching (and attempting to help) him load the trailer is always interesting and a little nerve-wracking, but he knows what he is doing so it's all good!
What was the regatta site like (on-shore and/or on-water)?
Marian: Adelaide Sailing Club might have had the best facilities to host a regatta that I have ever seen: grassy lawns for each ILCA fleet; beach launch from a small and safe harbour; boat ramp in the same harbour and plenty of room for all the support boats. Plus, great food and drinks on offer. and plenty of shade to get into. It was great.
Michelle: Adelaide Sailing Club was a great venue with enough space for the sailors to rig without too much trouble. Security was a slight issue with some locals taking Olivia's boat to use as a sled on the sand dunes. Thankfully the damage was minimal.
Craig: Patience is particularly important in long course formats found at States/Nationals/Worlds and Adelaide was no exception. A good position may become a great position if you work hard and have a small lane. A good position discarded in pursuit of a great position will often have you spat out the back of the front runners. Knowing the course (or in some cases, knowing what is your course and what is a bottom gate of another course), is crucial in consistently being able to get results without chewing through a drop due to not working it out in time.
What enjoyable activities did the group get up to other than watching the sailing?
Marian: When racing was delayed, the kids did a bit of couch surfing while playing virtual regatta ‘together’. Healy had a birthday down there and a great game of beach cricket happened. And lots of dinners out in Glenelg.
Michelle: We had a great team dinner out one night and many impromptu drinks at the sailing club bar.
What was your onshore highlight from the regatta?
Marian: A highlight for me is the interstate social interaction. I love how the friendships are there even though we don’t live in the same place but we do sail in the same place regularly. Also seeing DBSC youth sailors receiving awards in the medal ceremony was a highlight.
Craig: The squad was fantastic, everyone was working together, there for one another and the only thing that could have made it better was if the team all got to go sailing at the same time, but that’s big regatta sailing, separated classes over the same course.
Michelle: I think the highlight for a lot of sailing parents is the relationships that you build with the other families - including those from other teams/states.
Interview with one of our coaches, Dan Costandi:
What were the sailing conditions like across the regatta?
We saw a wide range of conditions over the event, from sub 5 knots to some days gusting over 20kts. It was a great test for the sailors and their abilities to see where they stacked up against others from around Australia. However the part that truly challenged the sailors was Adelaide’s wave state and how to navigate it well upwind and downwind.
What strengths and positives did you notice from the DBSC sailors?
I enjoyed watching the group adapt to the waves in Adelaide, as they are very different from anything you can find in Sydney. When we first arrived everyone seemed unfamiliar with how to manage them but by the end of the week I saw everyone sailing very comfortably and fast in the waves.
What key learnings came out of the regatta for the DBSC sailors?
One of the many key learnings that came out of the nationals was how crucial starts become in larger fleets. A good start in a big fleet can almost guarantee a top 10 rounding at the top mark whereas a poor start often limits you to a bottom half finish. I was really impressed by all of our DBSC sailors as each day I saw noticeable improvements from the sailors with their starts. The other main key learning was sailing fast downwind in waves. Unlike Double Bay, there are swell waves in Adelaide, which are more consistent over the course. So if you miss one wave that’s another wave a competitor is surfing. So sailors needed to learn how to effectively catch waves and minimise missed waves.
Photos courtesy Marian Traynor and Michelle Power
Thanks to Brooke, Marian, Craig, Michelle and Dan for sharing their experience and congratulations once more to all DBSC members for a job well done!
- James Tudball, Youth Engagement
