To some, sailing may seem like more of a recreational activity than an Olympic sport. But Nikola Girke and Luke Ramsay know better.
Girke and Ramsay, partners for the last four years in Nacra 17 sailing, have been to the Olympics three times and once, respectively.
An ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta is happening in Miami this week (watch live on CBCSports.ca Saturday at 11 a.m. ET), and by the end of the competition they'll know if they'll be heading to Rio for another Olympics.
So you thought sailing was a leisurely sport? Check it out this weekend #SWCMiami16 https://t.co/kaNHw5Dl5K https://t.co/Ei9TSOeo7v
— @CBCOlympics
Canada did not win a sailing medal at the 2012 London Olympics, resulting in funding cuts. That left Girke and Ramsay responsible for handling their own campaign to raise funds, organizing travel and accommodations for training and competitions, not to mention maintenance and shipping for their boat.
That's a lot of demands, especially when they're spending 10-11 months a year on the road.
"We have to work that much harder than some of the other teams who are told when their boat will be arriving, and have people planning for them so that all they have to think about is sailing," said Ramsay on a call from Miami. "It's a lot of extra work, but at the end of the day we still get the same training time as everyone else, and we still get the opportunity to race."
Nacra 17 is the type of boat used in the class that Ramsay and Girke will be competing in this weekend. The 139-kilogram boat is a Catamaran, meaning it has two hulls. One of the two athletes on board must be male and the other female. Races have around 50 boats trying to get through the course as quickly as possible, which adds to the difficulty as everyone is battling for the best wind line.
"It's not like cycling or race car driving where people try to draft off of each other," said Girke during race week in Miami. "You want to be first to hit that wind line, and if crews are in front of you catching the wind, you're going to be catching less than they are, and as the race goes on that accumulates. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, so to speak."
Olympic spot on the line
The duo has been competing together for more than three years now. They're around each other for most of their days — traveling, on the boat, in the weight room, debriefing with their coach, all under high stress. This is an every-day routine, so trust is very important.
"Over a four-year journey if you're not having fun, things are going to break down, and that happens to a lot of teams," said Ramsay. "If that breaks down, training can become ineffective and the crew can eventually split up. There's definitely more to it than skill on the boat."
Girke has competed in three Olympics to Ramsay's one, and also is about 10 years older. But even with this, she doesn't feel like she has taken a mentorship role, and believes firmly in being treated as equals.
"If there was some sort of balance, then someone would feel as though they weren't getting their respect," she said. "We each have our strengths and our weaknesses, so all we do is focus on capitalizing on each others strengths."
The Charlie course at Key Biscayne has the breeze coming over the key, causing it to be changing all the time. Fifty boats dealing with different variables all have to look to the water ahead to see how the wind is hitting the water so that they can find the best wind and angle to be the fastest.
"You have to look at all of the other boats, you have to look at what you have, and you have to act in your 'now,'" said Girke of the turbulent environment. "A mirror of life so to speak."
To qualify for the Olympics the Canadians only need to beat the Puerto Rican team, and so far in the competition Canada sits in 22nd place, while the Puerto Rican team is in 31st.
The final day of competition is on Saturday, while Ramsay's birthday is on Sunday. He is confident that things will go to plan.
"My parents are coming into town at the end of the event. We're going to be having a good time on Saturday night, that's for sure."
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét