Foiling Training Goes to Oahu
After a few weeks off earlier in the month, the US IQFoil Women were back on track in Oahu from Sept 20th to Oct 5th. We needed to train in a venue with challenging swell to get prepared for the PanAm Games, and I do not believe there is any better place than Kaneohe and Kailua Bay to make this happen.
Training sessions have been epic. Dominique Stater is feeling more confident in big waves, and she can now focus on the racing side while she is foiling.
Dominique will head to Santiago, Chile on Oct 16th for her first PanAm Games. Born to a Chilean mother and having spent most of her childhood in South America, this event is particularly symbolic for her. She will have the opportunity to train for a few days in the challenging waters of Algarrobo before meeting the rest of the Sailing Team on Oct 23rd. The first day of racing is October 28th. If she expresses the best version of herself, I have no doubt she can step on the podium and qualify the USA for Paris 2024.
Anna Weis had a great time in Oahu too. The first time I met Anna was in Hawaii 14 months ago when she was learning how to windsurf. Her improvement in that amount of time has been remarkable. Anna's source of energy is a mix of fun and respect. As long as she enjoys being on the water and we work in a collaborative environment, she will always be willing to push her own limits. I have to say I had no expectation she would manage to be so fast so quickly. We still have a lot of work to do to put all pieces together for racing mode, but she is definitely taking the right direction.
Our local Hawaiian squad foiler Danicka Sailer is currently studying at UC Berkeley. She managed to escape to Oahu for a few days to train with the team. Danicka is the most autonomous and organized athlete within the squad. We work together on establishing work priorities and I fully trust her to get the job done. Danicka has probably the best technical skills and she knows she has to step up physically to keep up with the squad pace and the goals she sets for herself.
On a personal level, I am extremely happy to be able to perform my job in partnership with WindClub Hawaii while we are in Oahu. We share the same work values, we are here to support the athletes realizing the best version of themselves and make them feel grateful for what they are doing.
The local rookies are evolving quickly. This year, both IQ Foilers, Makani and Sage Andrews, and kiter Mani Pahuatini qualified for the World Sailing Youth Worlds are from HI.
On October 5th, we are heading to Pensacola, Florida for a training camp organized by America One Racing. It will be a great opportunity to update the squad on the sailing rules with help from Dave Perry ahead of the PanAm Games, as well as build continuity with our physical training plan with Dan Fine.