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Plantation, FL
13 January 2010
In November last
year, I made the hard decision to focus on Women’s Match Racing for 2012 London
Olympics. It was a tough decision
and took a great deal of soul searching.
I love sailing/racing the Laser Radial and the competition in the fleet
is very fierce. However, the new
Olympic discipline of Women’s Match Racing, combined with the Elliot 6m (an
overgrown, physically demanding dinghy) pulled at my heart strings and
convinced me to follow that path.
TeamTunnicliffe Chasing Down The Opposition
Photo: copyright, John Payne, January 2010
It is quite a
different type of sailing.
Firstly, the biggest adjustment is sailing with other people. Oh my goodness, there were people on
board with whom I could discuss tactics.
I still make the final decision, but it is quite enlightening to hear
different perspectives. And then,
secondly, of course, there is only one other boat on the start line. Certainly something to mess with one’s
head.
But that is the
other appeal about match racing, women’s or open. In fleet racing, make a mistake and you usually have time to
make up for it. In match racing,
make a mistake and the fight back has to be instantaneous, although the race
isn’t won until the first boat crosses the line. So many more alternatives going through one’s head at one
time.
And then there is
the teamwork. Finding the right
people to make up the team is not an easy task. I have been very lucky to have several girls willing to sail
with me. For the Elliot 6m, I sail
with Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi. I think sometimes, I am not the most genial person to have at the
back of the boat. But like any
successful business team, not everyone agrees all the time, but everyone
respects everyone’s opinion.
TeamTunnicliffe: Debbie (white hat), Molly (black hat), Anna (no hat)
Photo: copyright, John Payne, January 2010
I am very
satisfied with my decision, but am now facing the reality of said
decision. The costs of attending
the regattas we need to, in order to gain the experience to accomplish our
Olympic Gold goal for the USA, have increased considerably; there are now 3, 4
or 5 people to transport to venues, house and feed.
I am very aware that everyone is having to streamline their budgets, I have already done this to
our team budget, and of the uncertainty of the future. But please, if you are able, would you
help my team, TeamTunnicliffe, continue our campaign journey by making a donation
(tax deductible) to our fund? I
can’t say thank you enough to everyone so far for your generous support, but
THANK YOU. Please, will you
continue to help us in your most benevolent way and be an integral part of
TeamTunnicliffe and our quest for Olympic Gold?
The Sailing Foundation of
New York
PO Box 267
Cos Cob, CT 06807
Further
information on this organization can be found via our website, click on Support
Crew and scroll down to the Individual Sponsorship section.
Thank you, thank
you, thank you to everyone. I will
continue to write updates from training venues and regattas to keep you
informed of our progress.
Sail Hard,
Anna and
TeamTunnicliffe
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