New chapter for the 49er squad
Written by Harvey Hillary | 22 March 2010
Spring has sprung in the UK and that usually means it’s time to head to Palma. Once again the hub of Spanish sailing is the setting of the first European event of the year and the venue for the climax of Skandia Team GBR’s winter training program. For the 49’er squad, it’s time to rebuild after the disappointments of the Worlds and start to focus on winning!
There’s been some restructuring in the team to ensure our focus is firmly set on gold medals and that has required some adjustments for everyone. The fundamental change is to switch from a single squad to two smaller training groups and the return of Olympic Silver Medallist Ian Barker to the coaching team. The concept is simple; smaller groups with a designated coach focus on delivering tailored support to maximise performance. For me that means a switch from Squad to Individual which brings a whole new set of challenges and rewards.
I’ll be working closely with Draper-Greenhalgh and Fletcher-Sign which is a great mix of experience and youth with an overriding focus on detail! I really think the partnership with be beneficial to both parties. We’ve also been very careful not to throw the ‘baby out with the bathwater’ and will continue to train as a squad for one week a month with both coaches on hand to continue the strong working practices we developed over the last 18 months.
The 49ers first camp of the year was in Palma last week and early signs are good for the new set up. The training was really focused on getting time in on the water to validate the set up both teams have been working on pre-season. It’s so similar to F1 in that respect. You only confirm the gains when you cross swords for the 1st time!
Next update after the Princess Sophia Regatta.
Thanks
Harvey