Morning roller program, release the QL's and feel that nice pop action as the spine decompresses!
Hi all,
Another day on the water at the ISAF Worlds today. Final day of qualifiers so everyone seemed super keen to make it count. Lots of Black flags and some high risk ventures on the courses today. Everyone keen to stay or get into Gold Fleet Finals tomorrow !!! (Thats the top 49 from 147 sailors present).
Started off the morning with a swim and a morning foam roll and stretch (as the pic suggests). Didn’t sleep great as found it hard to get comfortable so slept in to around 9am!!! awesome … Foam rolling is great for hip flexors, glutes, lower back, TFL’s, ITB’s and of course quads and hamstrings. Normally takes about 20 mins to do a great little roller program. Essential for recovery and more importantly keep my back in working order and warm to start the day!
I stopped in at the shops last night and grabbed some V (Energy drink), Dare Iced Coffee Double Espresso (OOOOHHH YEAHHHH) and some Winners (Sports Gel). Before I went racing I slammed the V and Dare and the Caffeine and boosted my perceived energy levels. Combined with ADHD this makes for a formidable feeling 
In terms of the day it was uncertain. We sailed out into a light South Easterly but soon a local seabreeze filled in and the breeze went hard right. I was first fleet off and sure the breeze would stablise and swing left as the seabreeze filled I started down near the pin. About 10 boats up to be precise.
I quickly advanced with some footing to roll my Leeward boat and then switched back to block to block grinding to move up on my windward boat. Worked well and I held my lane out the left. Pavlos, Andreas and Bapsy all did as well and a little advanced on me we all tacked at a simular time near the left lay. Holding our lanes we all arrived to the right lay and ar0und 25 – 50m from the top mark. I rounded in 4th and started chasing the leaders.
Managing to seperate from the bunch I chased after Pavlos and he caught Bapsy. On the final beat (we were doing outer courses). We had an interesting situation, the seabreeze died out and the gradient filled back in. The breeze died momentarily and then filtered in from the SE. I was on lay after tacking around half way up the beat and almost caught Bapsy to the top. The guys behind who went further left had to broad reach into the top mark !!! crazy …
Anyway it was a one way ticket to the finish with a reach (instead of downwind) and a run (instead of reach). A 4th !!! solid result.
Race 2 was more just another SE gradient breeze with the fresher puffs coming in from the left. I started and won the pin end and quickly tacked back on a persistent header to head back toward the middle of the fleet. Sound tactics but one guy almost crossed me so I tacked back inside. It was Simon (GER) and we drag raced out to the left before leading the fleet into the top mark. I was in 2nd and had a nice little gap behind.
On the first run Alsogaray (ARG) caught up to me but then I found some mojo and boosted away from him near the bottom. More worried about Sam Meech (NZL) I kept an eye on him up the next beat. Holding on to 2nd he closed the gap on me downwind only to lose it again on the final upwind. By the time we rounded the top the breeze had dropped to around 5 knots and was getting soft. He made ground but I hung on to take the 2nd !!!
All in all a good day. Stop in to see Donna and Mari to release the muscles around my back and some ice packs on my L4-L5 disc and then off on the train home to Cottesloe.
Turns out I am running 4th overall. Just a nice consistent result really pays and I plan to continue doing the same thing I have been. Feeling relaxed and always something to do with my recovery and maintaining my back I never have time to think, only to race, eat, drink and sleep.
Tomorrow is first day of Gold Fleet and starts at 12 noon. Wish me luck among the top 49 other sailors. Should be fun !
Cheers, Ash
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