9:35 PM Wed 16 Dec 2009 GMT
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'Out on the water - winning. ? LG Womens Match Racing Championships'
John Curnow
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For World Match Racing Champ, Nicky Souter, the long of it has been the many years that it has taken to be an overnight sensation. The short of it, is that there are just three places on the Australian 2012 Olympic Women's Match Racing Team. Fifteen of them started in the squad over a year ago and already there are just nine!
Nicky got to be that sensation by working her way from her first boat, a Manly Junior to Ynglings and then went on to win the Flying Eleven Nationals. She is the only women ever to do so, by the way. I asked her recently about her dinghy origins and the learning curve contained therein. 'Definitely small boat sailing teaches you so much. After moving on from my Flying 11 in 2000, I spent five years in the RPAYC Youth Development program, which is designed to introduce you to yacht racing and match racing as a pathway out of the smaller dinghies.' Clearly already a talent in the making, she was handpicked from the youth squad to travel to the UK with Bob Oatley's 66 Foot 'Wild Oats X' team to compete in the 2003 Admirals Cup with the crew. This was the year Australia won the Admirals Cup again after a very long hiatus. 'What a tremendous trip and I really got a taste of what International sailing at the elite level is all about. Afterwards my Match Racing and big boat sailing took off', Nicky commented. Fortunate maybe, but the wisdom of that choice was very sage indeed. After the many years of dedication to the task, today she is the reigning Women's World Match Racing Champion.
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Gold suits you Nicky. ? LG Womens Match Racing Championships - John Curnow
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'Bob Oatley has always been good to me. I got such a thrill in 2005 when Mark Richards and the rest of us crew took 'Wild Oats XI' on to win the treble of Line Honours, Handicap and Race Record for the Sydney to Hobart', she added. I would think that just may be a little understated when it comes to discussion of their achievements with that McConaghy built, Reichel-Pugh speedster.
Always happy and polite (just like her Mum Louise), Nicky is one focused athlete, thrilled to be at the top of her game. For example, when I asked Nicky about her thoughts on being in canvassed as a possible Australian Female Sailor of the Year, she replied, 'For sure it would be a great honour, but I know that there are some very talented girls in that group. You have my fellow squad mate Katie Spithill and of course, there's Elise and Tess with their Beijing Gold!' Now that Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson have been awarded that title, Nicky was just as quick to applaud them. 'They worked hard and won Gold in some pretty interesting conditions. It is fantastic and they're thoroughly deserving winners', she added.
It is fair to say that Nicky definitely has her eye on London and the 2012 Games. As mentioned, there are just three spots for that journey and the squad of the original 15 was cut back to 12 in March this year and is currently standing at nine since they got home from Nicky's win in Europe. By March 2010, it will be down to just six or seven. Make that cut and you're at least a 50/50 bet, but then somehow I would not think Nicky is going to rest there. 'To make the team for the Olympics, you have to have a lot of determination and drive, especially seeing that there is only room for three girls on the plane! If I make it, it will show that all the hard work over years have paid off. With so many girls going for just three places, it's very competitive on the water, but thankfully, we all get along really well.' Phew is all I can say.
Presently, the road to 2012 involves three days a week with on-the-water training in Sydney and a stint in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport for intense fitness testing and training. 'After that, our Summer racing kicks off with a very busy schedule, including a massive line up of international regattas both for the World Cup events and Grade 1 & 2 Regattas, which are mainly in Europe', Nicky informed me. They start with Miami in January and then a busy nine months of activity to follow, so her only large craft activity this time around was aboard 'Wild Oats XI' for the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge.
Nicky won the World Match Racing title at Lysekil, Sweden and also the Australian Women's Match Racing Championship on Sydney Harbour recently in the Elliott 6. The later, she has done six out of the last seven years, in fact. I asked her what it's like to sail the new McConaghy built Elliott 6m at Kieler Woche in Germany, when they will be getting their own McConaghy Elliott 6m's back here in Australia and how they any different to the original ones.
'We recently received Yachting Australia's brand new Elliott 6m's, fresh from McConaghy's in China. Incidentally, I did a stint on reception at McConaghy's Mona Vale facility, as well as sailing on the two 'Wild Oats' that they built, so it is kind of a bit like coming home with the new McConaghy Elliott 6m. Anyway, in the middle of October we took the plastic wrapping off and set them both up. I loved racing them at Kiel. They're very similar to the original Elliott 6 fleet here in Sydney and NZ, with changes to the hull shape and keel and come with carbon rigs and smaller sail areas etc. These boats are very dinghy like - very quick and responsive for Match Racing. Let's hope the umpires can keep up!' Nicky mused.
Simply put, Nicky draws her motivation from 'Winning!' Her biggest goal right now is to survive the next cut in Feb/March 2010, so she can keep on campaigning towards 2012. You would have to be motivated, because unlike other professional sports, she has to work a normal day, as well as train.
A week looks a little bit like this:
. Monday there are weights after work,
. Tuesday is cardio before work and sailing training afterwards,
. Wednesday there are weights after work again,
. Thursday is cardio before work and sailing training afterwards,
. Friday there are weights before work,
. Saturday morning is cardio before hitting the water in the afternoon and
. Sunday is a day off
I had the opportunity to ask McConaghy owners Jono Morris and Mark Evans about building these strict class boats. 'We're thrilled to be working with Greg Elliott and ISAF to provide these fantastic yachts for the London 2012 Olympic Games. It speaks volumes about McConaghy's versatility, dependability and quality. Not only do we make the winningest Maxi's in the world but through our China facility we're able to produce these strict one design yachts quickly, efficiently and on budget!' All very important when you need to have a level playing field for all the countries concerned.
Smile on the dial factor was my next question for Nicky. Is it all just training now or is there still a buzz?
'I definitely do get a buzz from it, especially when we won the Worlds a few months back. It's also great that we have a massive support base here in Australia and it showed on October 10, when RPAYC held a celebration for us at our club in recognition of the things we (Nicky and fellow squad members) have been able to do because of their support and backing. The clubhouse was packed with family, members, employers, sponsors and supporters. This really showed how many people back at home are supporting our squad. We are doing a lot of training, but you need to put the hours on the water in to make results.' No disputing that. Good miles makes good champions, as my rowing coach used to say.
All those miles make it a long road for sure. Hopefully for Nicky, the answer will be a very short 'YES!' (you're going to London) and unlike those umpires she mentioned, we will definitely be keeping up with your progress Nicky.
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Sometimes there’s even enough time for a laugh. ? LG Womens Match Racing Championships - John Curnow
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by John Curnow
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