This year, the 53rd edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta took place from April 1st to 6th. I traveled to Spain on March 24th to get situated for my 3rd time attending this event. In the lead-up to the event, we saw various conditions, including several days in a row with big wind from the south straight into the bay. This brought massive waves, making the beach launch dangerous and forcing us to launch from the harbour. A number of ILCAs and one coach boat flipped on the way out, but once out there, the huge waves made for some epic training as they were skewed 60 degrees to the left of the wind, allowing for surfing upwind on port.
These high winds stuck around for the first day of the event, with winds of 20-29 knots. After a good start in the first race towards the pin, I found myself on the correct side of the racecourse in around 15th place. Unfortunately, feeling the fatigue of the strenuous upwind, I annoyingly missed my hiking strap tacking at the windward mark. This cost me significantly, and I finished that race 51st out of 66. I again had a good start in the second race and sailed a clean race, finishing in 18th. The second day brought lighter winds, around 8 knots. I had some excellent downwinds but didn’t get off the line as well as the previous day, finishing with races of 29 and 22. With only two days of qualifying, this left me in the silver fleet, 14 points short of my goal of making gold and mathematically eliminated from the Olympic trials for Paris 2024.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who has been a part of my journey these last four years: my sponsors and donors, Port Credit Yacht Club, Sail Canada, the Governments of Canada and Ontario, and my parents. Your unwavering support and belief in me have not only allowed me to represent Canada on the world stage but have also been the driving force behind my every success. I also want to extend a special thank you to my coaches, Larry, Ken, Wil, and Andrew, for their invaluable guidance and mentorship in this sport.
While this quad has not ended as I had initially envisioned, I am proud of the significant progress I have made in sailing year after year. This journey has only strengthened my resolve to compete in the Los Angeles 2028 games. I am fully committed to this goal and believe that with continued effort and support, I can achieve further mastery in this sport.
I will take some time this summer and fall to work on my university degree and give back to the sailing community. I will be coaching this summer where I can share my experiences and insights with aspiring sailors. My next event will be the ILCA North Americans, June 6-9.