RS:X windsurfer Bryony Shaw is keeping a diary of her Test Event experience and shares with us her impressions of Qingdao and racing on the 2008 Olympic waters...
1 September: Looking back on the Event
This test event is one competition in the regatta calendar that has recently been given a similar rating to a World Championships towards qualifying for the British Team in 2008. Therefore I have two chances this year for selection, but it also makes it a tough decision to choose which one to peak for. Looking back on the event it has been a big learning curve and highlights what I need to work on over the next two years.
It is tricky for a windsurfer campaigning towards the Olympics to peak more than once a year. In my case I peaked for a grade one competition in Palma, Majorca back in March, then again for the European Championships in Alacati, Turkey this June. I also have a World Championships in Torbale, Lake Garda to consider this September. Physical and mental peaks are very personal, and each individual athlete will choose to target specific events. But it is certain there is one competition where everyone will aim to perform the Olympics.
It is often very useful to look back over a competition to see what worked and what didn t. How was my preparation? How did I cope with the conditions? What were my strengths? It is especially important to learn from any mistakes at the Olympic venue because these are the waters where we will compete for medals in 2008. As a test event this regatta has been very useful for me to know what to go home and work on.
In the light wind sea breeze the tide is a strong decider on best race strategy; offshore winds are forced around the tall mountains and skyscrapers of Qingdao that make a race very shifty and gusty; swell can change the sea state from flat calm to very choppy with big waves in a matter of hours. Any strong winds are dictated by infrequent local low pressure systems and typhoons that can affect us from hundreds of miles away. Each condition demands specific techniques and a different tactical mindset.
I think my frustrations developed during this competition from how different the races were from one to the next; how long we spent waiting for wind onshore; and the fact that even before the racing started I had been away for over a fortnight already, and I resented that I would be away from home for a whole month.
These were certainly not the frustrations of the Chinese Team, who have had very good results this week in the men s and women s fleets. They benefit from local knowledge of wind and tide, they are used to a hot humid climate, and they have a very strong squad including the female silver medallist from Athens 2004. However, they are blown away when the wind gets up to 15 knots, so then the Brits can rule the waves!
I am looking forward to the World Championships next month in Lake Garda, where I should peak for the fourth time this year. I plan to show that it can be done.
26 August: Racing in Qingdao
I had an impression that Qingdao was a foggy light wind venue, so I was surprised when in our training prior to the competition we were gifted with an 18 knot offshore breeze.
But the big question was, would it stay for racing?
Personally, I am quite happy competing in light winds, although it is very physical on a windsurfer, but for the racing to be more enjoyable for the competitors and spectators we all pray for planing conditions and sun! Having spent a few days going round the race track in less than ideal racing conditions I find myself thinking that 8 knots sounds like a windy day!
The wind has certainly been tempting us when rainstorms that passed through the night leave behind a gorgeous 15 knots onshore breeze in the morning. So we all head down to the Olympic marina in our team minibus eager to go racing, but by the time it comes to our scheduled 1 o clock start time the wind has died to almost nothing and racing is postponed. The next activity is therefore relaxing away from the heat and humidity, with our kit poised next to the slipway so that as soon as the flag goes down we can head out to our course.
So far the racing conditions have been very big waves and chop combined with a very light variable wind. Qingdao is also a strong tidal venue and up to 1.6 knots of tide has been rushing along the coast, which can have a huge effect on best race strategy. Racing on a windsurfer in these conditions becomes a battle of those who have the best pumping technique for the upwind and best balancing technique for the downwind. In some races the wind has dropped so close to the strength of the current that you can be pumping your hardest to get around the windward mark and still not get any closer to it!
For the Skandia Team GBR windsurfers, results have been far from the medal winning performances we have achieved this year as none of us are in the top ten. So when we get home we are in search of a tidal and choppy training venue close to home.
Unfortunately the forecast for the rest of the week is not looking promising as there is no more gradient wind; the hope is that the sky will be clear enough to create a sea breeze. So it looks like a few more days of guess the tune on the iPod!
20 August: Build up
Arriving at an Olympic venue puts a rosy glow inside anyone involved in sport. You can listen to all the hype but ultimately it is your personal first impressions that stick in your mind. I was expecting a polluted, hot, foggy building site and what I got was sunshine, wind and breathtaking high rise cities. But will the good weather last?
Entering the gates of the Olympic marina on my new Chinese fold-up bicycle I was very excited, but once past x-ray security I still had to cycle down a long road before I could peek inside.
After a second security check I could see into the vast boat park it took my breath away. Each area was marked out per country and I had to cycle the whole length of the site until I reached the windsurfing area.
It is all very well organised with rig racks and water hoses, a big long row of containers for kit line the back wall in alphabetical order. They have already built a huge air-conditioned building for the athletes lounge and caf , and a press tower for the media that overlooks the sailing areas.
The harbour wall is set up perfectly for spectators who line up to watch the racing with seating and sunshades. The impressive high rise buildings of Qingdao surrounding the marina that make any offshore winds very shifty add an even grander scale to the whole atmosphere.
Once on the water I was expecting polluted scum floating around, but what I got was warm blue water reflecting off the sky and massive jellyfish keeping me company. Still I was not about to jump in to cool off! We were greeted by the typical Qingdao fog but within a few days we had a gusty 18 knots offshore breeze that blew it all away.
The question is, will it hang around for our week of racing while the Chinese are so keen to set a good impression for the world to see