French Olympic Week

The south of France is home to my favorite regatta on the World Cup and European circuit, the French Olympic Week.  This year marks the 8th time I've competed in this event, and it remains one of the most popular on the circuit for all the sailors.  The French Olympic Week is full of youth teams,  and having a group of skilled European youth sailors create a big fleet is a perfect opportunity to try new tactics or make sure I am consistently executing the skills I  already know.  

Making a move at the windward mark in light air (Photo by Mick Knive Anderson)

I used this event to back up Palma, and it was a good gauge for my fitness and identifying small details of racing that I need to improve.  It was a test of pulling all the elements of my game together and gave me a number of key areas to focus on for the next 6 months.  My next target in the World Cup is Sail Melbourne, the first regatta of the 2014 series - it's hard to believe most of the 2013 series is over already! 
 
From racing the World Cup series, my ISAF ranking is now 11th, which I am happy about despite my lack of participation early in the series.  I elected not to do Miami for financial and training reasons, foregoing ranking points as well as making the 2013 US Sailing Team.  However, this allowed me to take advantage of training in Australia with the focus of improving speed and overall performance.  Now I know I made the right choice, and I am happy with my sailing over the last 6 months and that my world ranking reflects this progress.

 In France, it was also great to see the US Sailing Team's interest in my personal program and have the team leaders take time to meet with me and discuss our plans going forward.  Thanks to Josh Adams and Charlie McKee for making the team a welcoming environment.

I am currently in Italy at a training center for athletes, where I am working on recovery and physical training before the next events.  Although there are no more World Cup regattas this year in Europe, the Eurosaf cup is still taking place and I will compete at Lake Garda, Italy, and Medemblik, Netherlands before taking a break at home.  After these events, I will have a long list of skills to focus on training during the later summer and fall.  

This year more than ever, money is a limiting factor in my improvement.  My 2012 major investment in coaching and a focused program is beginning to pay off in results.  I have been fortunate this winter and spring to be able to continue to train and compete on the circuit, but I continue to be stretched to the limit.  The financial results of this year will be a major indicator of whether I can continue to have the level of support that I need to potentially medal at the 2016 Olympics.  I am on my way up, and would like to finish my climb to the top.

Trofeo Princesa Sofia: World Cup Success

Progress in Olympic sailing is all about making the right training choices.  For the past few months in Australia, my focus has been on getting faster in all conditions.  Speed is king at any event. Following a few simple rules, refined by lots of practice and memorizing feel in all different conditions, is what it takes to get faster and keep getting faster.  Putting speed into perspective and attaining the correct focus to maintain speed gave me a 9th place finish in Palma.  Combining speed with elements of racing learned over the past year, plus a consistent coaching focus, is what brings success to any Olympic-class sailor.

Palma gave us a variety of challenging conditions.  From an exhausting 30 knot day with 2 meter swell, to very light wind, we had two days of non planing racing and four days of planing.  Challenging conditions were added to by ISAF's testing of a new Olympic format.  Similar to the last Olympic format, the regatta was divided into a qualifying series, final series, and medal races.  However, sailors' scores from the qualifying series were not carried over to the final series - but sailors' places were carried over instead of scores.  Therefore a sailor scored 10th entered the final series with 10 points, and all sailors had the "gaps" reduced in their scores to only one point.  Essentially, the final series was the beginning of a new regatta entirely, with consistency and good finishes in the qualifying series not rewarded.  An additional race was added to the final series for a total of 5 races, and two medal races were held for double points each.  All in all it was six days of really intense racing, extra races, and two high-stakes medal races instead of one.

Most sailors, including myself, were unsatisfied with this format.  Like the Miami OCR, it didn't reward consistency in good finishes, a hallmark of successful sailors.  There was no benefit in rewarding lower-ranked sailors by erasing their scores from the qualifying series, and it made the scoring harder to understand for spectators.  Two medal races were acceptable and interesting, but double points scoring became senseless.  Luckily, ISAF is getting feedback from all the competitors!  There was nothing wrong with the previous format and scoring and hopefully ISAF will decide on a similar solution.

We are now training in Hyeres in preparation for the next World Cup, the French Olympic Week.  We have had perfect French springtime weather with lots of sun and wind, and the venue is already filling with sailors.  It is another opportunity to keep building on the work I did this winter and another chance for a good finish.  I'm looking forward to making progress at the French Olympic Week.

Tough Choices

Being subject to changing circumstance is a normal part of the campaign trail for any aspiring Olympic sailor. The uncertainty of the RS:X class being put back in the Olympics, and the new (and welcomed) change in the sailing team leadership created uncertainty in the state of my post-Olympic campaign.  Especially in the first year of a new quadrennial, funding is critical but difficult to secure; this is the situation for me this winter.  After five years of support, my main sponsor has decided not to renew for my Rio campaign.

While waiting for the ISAF decision on either the RS:X windsurfer or kiteboarding for Rio, I was given a trip to Australia to train in a prime location, Brisbane, where Southern Hemisphere summer weather brings sun, heat, and windy conditions.  It was a great offer and I took it, arriving in Brisbane in November.  In November and December, I trained full time with Jo Sterling, an Australian sailor, and top Italian sailor Flavia Tartaglini in Brisbane and Sydney.  I tried to implement this winter plan without knowing what my funding would be; I tried to forge ahead by doing what I thought I should do to make the most of my training time in Australia without knowing exactly would happen to me this winter.

With a last minute decision to include the RS:X in the Miami OCR World Cup, the sole event to qualify for the 2013 US Sailing team, I had a tough choice to make about how to get the most value from my very limited resources.  Attending the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta was an opportunity to gain a spot on the US Sailing Team, but I would lose valuable training and development time, not to mention exhausting my funds.  The stresses of travel and a 14-hour time change on short notice versus the opportunity for me to improve my overall speed and technique while working with a familiar coach was how I saw the choice. For me, staying in Australia was the better option.  Under the new US Sailing leadership, I, and any other US athlete, still have the same opportunity to earn funding and use American coaching resources - a new attitude of inclusiveness I really appreciate.  But without any significant funding available this year, and our international results determining our 2014 funding, I am targeting top finishes in Europe as my goal this year.  My current training camp here in Brisbane is preparing me for the European season.

After three and a half months of training in the consistent Brisbane sea breeze, and 10 days more to go until our coach returns to Poland, I can say that I am really happy with the way the training is going.  With two long sessions daily, we have plenty of opportunity to develop speed in all conditions, and I've had the chance to perfect my board handling.  Adding in some racing has also been a great opportunity to develop focus, consistency, and the mental side of the sport.  The training has been great preparation and a confidence-builder for the upcoming European season, and I'm looking forward to seeing how well I will race this spring.  My greatest challenge now is again growing my support base in order to properly campaign.  I've got a great plan in place but it takes the proper resources to make it happen. All I know is that competing in this sport at an Olympic level will never be easy.  I've come to a point where I know for certain I have a chance to make a top finish at the next Olympics.  It's just a matter of putting myself there and once again, I'll give it my all.

ISAF Decision: Interview with Windsport Magazine

Last week I answered a series of questions by Pete DeKay of Windsport, on the topic of the recent ISAF decision to reinstate windsurfing in the Olympics.  Unlike our international counterparts, the opinion of American windsurfers has not been sought by USA sailing media, and Pete's interview is a great opportunity to give this viewpoint to the public.   The interview will be published as part of a larger article in Windsport's winter issue.

Pete asked me the following questions:

1.  What word would you use to describe your life during the 6-months that windsurfing was out of the Olympics? Explain briefly.

The word would definitely be "focused."  Because the political situation was so uncertain, I put a lot of effort into planning and executing those plans both before and after the Olympic Games.  Before the Olympics, I was completely focused on getting as much water time as possible with my coach - I knew it could have been my last windsurfing Olympics, and that I would have to re-negotiate my funding after the Games!  After the Olympics, my program was all about maximizing the opportunities that I had in learning kiteboarding and in the progression of my windsurfing skills, all on a small budget.  As it ended up, I had awesome training in both!  I trained at home in Annapolis, in San Francisco, and Cape Hatteras.  I actually made major progress in windsurfing high-wind technique and I learned how to kiteboard.   Although a tense political situation was hanging over our heads, I found that kiteboarders and windsurfers became more supportive of each other and are now much more aware of each other's sport.  Attitude really makes a difference when times are tough.

2.  What was the biggest factor that helped get windsurfing reinstated for Rio 2016?

The most significant factor was the public response to ISAF's May decision. ISAF's first vote was a political disaster, with delegates not knowing what they were voting on, no research done on the two sports, not enough representation from Asian countries, and improper procedure.  The result was outrage from the windsurfing and sailing community, with the threat of unification against ISAF.  The community closely paid attention to the outcome of the decision, and a lot of sailors were very vocal towards their MNAs to amend their vote. 

The public response to the vote set a precedent for ISAF, and the top honchos at ISAF lost a measure of control over what would happen at the November meeting.   Countries became more heavily invested in the outcome of the decision, and many came together to vote, made new submissions, and researched ISAF procedure and law regarding the voting process.  The response also told the International Olympic Committee that Olympic sailing as an entire sport was in trouble and unable to govern itself, effectively putting ISAF on watch by its boss. 

The RS:X class' decision to file a judicial review against ISAF's decision was also a precedent.  Although the lawsuit hasn't been "successful" so far and wasn't popular with the sailors, it worked because it showed ISAF that they need to take more care in their decision-making, and that their procedures need to be changed for the better.  It helped windsurfing at ISAF's November meeting by opening up more voting opportunities.  Small lawsuits against a richer and more powerful body are almost never successful, but they always make others take notice and in such a way, change is effected.  In 2008, my arbitration against US Sailing wasn't successful, but the USOC took notice and made them change the US Racing Rules of Sailing to make redress more fair for American sailors.  Four years later, my story helped bring about significant change in the way the US Sailing Team will managed for 2016.  In the future, the ripples from cases such as these make waves to bring about change.

3.  Explain to the “average joe windsurfer” why having windsurfing in the Olympics is important?



Windsurfing is the second-most popular Olympic sailing sport, after Laser / Laser Radial.  The Bic Techno windsurfing class, on the Olympic pathway for youth, is internationally almost as popular as the Optimist dinghy.  Windsurfing offers smaller countries the opportunity to get involved in sailing cheaply and fairly, without having to have large infrastructure for boats.  As a stable one-design fleet, smaller countries can buy equipment and not have to worry about turning it over many times for the latest new development, which happens under a "box rule."  It is the only sailing class that is both very technical and very physical, and it's visually interesting and fast.  It is easy to launch in difficult places and sail close to shore for spectators.  Most importantly for me, women's participation is really high so we have great competition!  It is one of the best and most well-established Olympic classes, and having ISAF try to remove it for an unproven sport showed poor judgment on their part.

Techno racing (sail-world.com)

4.  What do we need to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?

I believe that ISAF procedure needs to be reevaluated and that actual sailors need to have more say in how delegates vote.  We also need to get more forward-thinking people into ISAF.  It would be great to have an actual body of sailors involved in the voting process somehow.

On a non-political level, sailors need to identify these potential problems sooner and bring them to their MNA's attention in a spirit of cooperation.  I don't think there is any one way to prevent bad political decisions from being made, but working collectively to have an attitude of moving forward, creating the right vision for our sport, and implementing that vision would go a long way.

5.  Is there a reason why ISAF is pitting windsurfing against kiteboarding? Can this be stopped in the future?

 This is a much better question for windsurfer Ben Barger (the Athlete's Rep on ISAF), who I asked to find out the real reason why ISAF pitted kites against windsurfing.  He said that a submission to the Olympic Commission in May 2011 helped them think it was a good idea.  ISAF thought the transition from windsurfing to kiteboarding was minimal, and refused to listen to different opinions on the matter. 

On a personal note, after reading the kiteboarding report to ISAF in April, my guess is that the swap was thoughtfully engineered by ISAF.  Their one-sided kiteboarding report was based on one kiteboarding event, and performed at a time that no representatives of Olympic windsurfing could have been involved (during our World Championships, when we were competing for Olympic berths). The tone and one-sidedness of the report indicated that the vote was already a done deal in ISAF, that ISAF was already very pro-kite, which is why the vote may have been pushed to May instead of November.  Pitting the two sports against each other was the result of ignorance and the assumption that kiteboarding is the same sport as windsurfing, or ISAF decided that windsurfing would be the easiest class to substitute with kiteboarding.  The voting debacle was also partially the result of politicians who wanted to remove a popular Olympic class, replace it with a relative unknown, and then replace it again with another boat class, eliminating all boards entirely (the USA).

6.  Anything you’d like to add on a personal note?

I feel we are entering a better and exciting time for the sport of Olympic sailing.  The recent political debacle will encourage change and cooperation within ISAF, and sailors are going to pay more attention to what happens to their sport.  It also shows MNAs that windsurfing is here to stay.  Already US Sailing is moving forward with ideas for a windsurfing program, which is a reversal of their previous stubborn lack of support.  I've also heard of other MNAs mobilizing their programs....so get ready!  We're also poised to see kiteboard course racing break new ground in participation and organization, in preparation for another try for the Olympics.  I'm looking forward to a continued push for improvement and cooperation in both sports, and a big welcome for kiteboarding alongside windsurfing in the 2020 Olympic Games.

Windsurfing in the United States: Cautious Steps Forward

The recent exposure of windsurfing and kiteboarding in the press has brought about a new beginning for these boardsports on a world level.  ISAF's decision to retain windsurfing in the Olympics and encourage kiteboarding to try again for an Olympic spot made a statement to the international community:  boards are here to stay in the Olympic Games.  For the United States, the decision is a fresh opportunity to improve our Olympic windsurfing program, and determine how to best poise ourselves for kiteboarding's growth and potential entry as an Olympic sport.  Using the proven-to-fail model from past Olympic sailing programs as a cautionary example can best prepare us for what we don't want to see happen in our program.  Up through 2012, a lack of forward thinking has crippled our team management; this includes a reliance on one or two sailors to win medals, and the refusal to assist sailors, especially windsurfers, on a developmental level.

The list of crimes committed by US Sailing against windsurfing is a very long one.  However, the essence  of the problem lay in the lack of forward thinking, and the discouragement of forward thinking, which kept our team firmly entrenched in a model successful only in the 1980s.  The top-heavy program built solely on successful individuals while letting other classes starve has only crippled our team depth, culture, and knowledge base…and in turn, our medal potential.  The most "starved" classes include windsurfing and catamarans, both of which have only a very small presence in the US. US Sailing has successfully prevented the growth of elite Olympic sailing by refusing to change the prevailing model of operating.

The US Sailing Team's new leadership is bringing a different concept into play:  using the United States' existing strengths in sailing to build a new structure from the ground up, starting with youth development.  Although funding is limited, the first steps in this direction are very positive. Collaborating with our new Team leadership, the best way to develop our current windsurfing program is through grass-roots effort and as much progressive thought and inclusiveness as possible.  Growing our existing youth programs is a first step, and creating racing opportunities and training camps alongside the other youth sailing classes is the next.  Combining windsurfing events and training camps with kiteboarding is a way to create exposure and awareness for both sports, and will offer new insight into how kiteboarding develops alongside windsurfing as an Olympic boardsport. 

Progress: St. Francis Yacht Club

I gave the following quote to Pete DeKay of Windsport Magazine:  I feel we are entering a better and exciting time for the sport of Olympic sailing.  The recent political debacle will encourage change and cooperation within ISAF, and sailors will pay more attention to what happens to their sport, because we now recognize that when unified, we can create change.  It also shows MNAs that windsurfing is here to stay, and that Olympic sailing has a strong need for more exciting and modern classes like windsurfing and kiteboarding.  Already US Sailing is moving forward with ideas for a windsurfing program, a reversal of their previous stubborn lack of support.  I've heard of other MNAs mobilizing their programs....so get ready!  We're also poised to see kiteboard course racing break new ground in participation and organization in preparation for another try for an Olympic spot.  The exposure kiting has gotten over the past few months will only help to grow the new sport.  I'm looking forward to a continued push for improvement and cooperation in both sports, and a big welcome for kiteboarding alongside windsurfing in the 2020 Olympic Games.

Olympic Rundown

Competing at the 2012 Olympic Games, for me, was an enlightening experience. Like most of us, I always appreciated the Olympics for their significance on a world level - bringing nations together to compete fairly, equally, and peacefully regardless of political conflict.  It is an honor to compete for the United States and represent the ideals of the Olympic Games, and I now understand the meaning of the dedicated years of my life I spent achieving this goal.  As an athlete, I've also begun to comprehend the level of experience and focus needed to really succeed in this event. 

Photo: Daniel Forster

In the rather complicated sport of windsurfing, putting together all the elements of a winning Olympic regatta takes years to learn.  As the sport evolves, athletes need to put together tactics, fitness, technique, funding, coaching, and a support network in order to be successful.  Although I put together a really good program this past year, it's just the baseline for a truly excellent one.  Today, I had the chance to identify many core areas that can be greatly improved, and to reflect on the aspects that did work for me.

I went into the Olympic regatta feeling I had a strong plan to succeed.  Because I have had so much training time at the Weymouth sailing venue, I am really comfortable with sailing here in all conditions.  I am also familiar with living here and the community, the weather, and locating all the resources I need to keep everyday logistics operating smoothly.  Psychologically, I came in feeling relaxed, focused, and confident in my plan for controlling distractions, competition focus, and pre and post-race routines.  As one of the less experienced competitors in the Olympic fleet, I had no outsized expectations for medaling, but rather to compete how I normally would at any other event, and remember and utilize all the aspects of training I completed this past year.  My first Olympic regatta seemed like almost any other event, except for the added logistical burden of security and living in close quarters with all the other athletes and coaches. 

In many ways, my plan worked very well.  Psychologically, I stayed focused and although I had a few discouraging races, I was able to push through them and re-focus for the next one.  I was also able to recognize the aspects of the race that were going well, and stay really positive throughout the entire event.  I felt comfortable in all the conditions we saw during the regatta, and put together good tactical plans before every race.  My fitness was very good as well (I actually was measured as one of the fittest girls in the fleet last March during a study conducted at the RS:X Worlds).   However, a few small factors disturbed my regatta a bit, and I was quite surprised by the amount of influence they had.

On the first and second day of the event, I had a few mediocre starts that set me back in the fleet upon the finish.  I had trouble recovering mentally from these; although I didn't feel bad, get angry, and was able to refocus after the mistakes, they made me sail more conservatively and focus on defense instead of aggressiveness.  What I needed was a plan to regain "attack mode" - this was something I hadn't considered in my psychological plan.  Another distraction was that although the regatta felt like a normal event, everyone was watching me!  I had to stay off Facebook and away from blogs in order to stay relaxed.  This was something I planned for, but it did add an element of pressure and next time, I'll know to expect it.

Another factor that influenced my regatta, that I had also planned for, was that I didn't have my usual coach, Max, on the course with me.  For the regatta, both Bob Willis (the USA men's windsurfer) and I shared his coach Peter; this was a result of a refusal of our team management to credential a windsurfing coach.  Although Bob's coach, Peter, is very good, he has his own way of doing things and his advice the first few days of racing threw me off a bit because I wasn't focused on what Max and I had worked on, and the formula that works for me.  Although Peter and I worked together during a few events and training, Max was around during this time and it was a bit different not having Max at all. In retrospect, I would have needed different preparation before working with Peter. 

This Olympics for me was all about gaining experience and insight into the small things that give me gains in competition.  It helped me to realize in what ways my preparation on and off the water needs to be tweaked to improve for the next Olympics.  I'm looking forward to organizing myself for another campaign!  I really appreciate all my supporters, who have always pulled through for me.  Thanks especially to my great sponsors, Compass Marketing, the St. Francis Sailing Foundation, the Olympic Sailing Association at New Orleans, the Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation, and the Southport Sailing Foundation.  I was so happy to represent all of you, and my community, at the Olympic Games. 

Annapolis' Farrah Hall Moves Up In Olympic Windsurfing Standings | Baltimore News | WBAL Radio 1090 AM

Annapolis' Farrah Hall competes during the Olympic RS-X Women's class race in Weymouth and Portland (AP Photo) 

Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Scott Wykoff

Annapolis' Farrah Hall was back on her sail board on Wednesday competing in the Women's RS-X at Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour.
The windsurfer who graduated from Broadneck High School and St. Mary's College finished 18th in both Race 3 and Race 4 of the windsurfing competition on Wednesday.
“I had a really disappointing day today,” Hall said when she got back to shore in the U.S. Sailing Team's daily report. “I usually have good starts and today I didn’t. I like racing in these conditions because it’s fun, but I’m better in light air. I can put together a race a little better in light air.”
After 4 races, Hall is now in 18th place overall as she moved up 3 spots in the standings with her efforts on Wednesday.
She was in 21st after the first day of the regatta on Tuesday.
CLICK HERE for full race results and standings for the Olympic Women's RS-X
The winds off the coast of Weymouth ranged from 15 knots to 20 knots during the regatta on Wednesday afternoon.
The are 26 sailors competing in the Women's RS-X.
The next two races will be Thursday. Friday is an off day for Hall and the other windsurfers.
Hall has now sailed in 4 of the 10 windsurfing races ahead of the medal race on Tuesday.
Spain's Marina Alabau Neira leads the Women's RS-X after two days of races.
Israel's Lee-El Korsiz is second overall.
The first-time Olympian from Maryland says she likes the environment where she and her teammates are staying in Weymouth during the sailing regatta.
"The boat park is quiet and everyone is getting down to business," said the 30-year-old from Annapolis.

Annapolis' Farrah Hall Moves Up In Olympic Windsurfing Standings | Baltimore News | WBAL Radio 1090 AM