Location: Qingdao, China
Dates: May 10 - 17, 2025
Preparing for the ILCA World Championships in Qingdao, China
I arrived in Qingdao early to get settled before the World Championships. With a 7-hour time difference from the UK, adjusting ahead of time was key before a big event. Getting settled also meant adapting to life in China—everything from unfamiliar smells and food safety concerns to navigating a language I didn’t speak and relying completely on my phone to order food or pay for anything. It truly felt like I was out of my element, in the best and most challenging ways. During our pre-training, we confirmed what we had expected: the venue offered light but sailable conditions when the current was right. Performing well in light air earlier in the season had given me confidence heading in. On the first day, we launched after a short delay and finally started racing in a light to moderate sea breeze. The World Championships were officially underway.
Fog Delays and No Wind: The Struggle to Start Racing in Qingdao
I had a strong start near the boat in the blue group and rounded the windward mark in 4th place. But with the wind completely shutting off for the yellow group on the outer loop, the race committee abandoned the race—and eventually the entire day. None of us knew just how frustrating the next few days would be.
For three days straight, it felt like Groundhog Day. The race committee kept inching the start time earlier, only for us to be postponed again and again due to no wind and strong current. Each day, a thick layer of fog or smog blanketed the city, and as the air heated up, it created a bubble that blocked any chance of breeze. They tried launching the fleets during slack tide when conditions might allow for racing, but two days in a row, the wind just never arrived. On the third day of waiting—and the fourth day without completing a race—dense marine fog shut things down completely. Even though there was just enough wind to race, the committee couldn’t see the pin end of the start line. It wasn’t just frustrating; it simply wasn’t safe or feasible to go ahead.
First Races in Qingdao: Costly Mistakes and Light Wind Challenges
By day five, we finally got racing. I had a decent start in the first race and rounded the windward mark in 15th, but I made a big mistake. I followed a group that ended up sailing extra distance against the current on the downwind, and it cost me big—I dropped back into the fleet. I fought back a few places on the final downwind and finished 24th.
The second race was sailed in really marginal conditions. I didn’t get off the line well and gambled on one side of the course, thinking more pressure was coming. I was wrong. I spent most of that race battling at the back of the fleet. With the wind fading again, the race committee shortened the course to just two upwinds and one downwind.
High Wind Racing in Qingdao: Personal Best in Extreme Conditions
The final day brought a total shift in conditions. Wind from the north swept in at 20–30+ knots, clearing out the fog and smog for the first time and setting us up for a proper day of racing. Gusts peaked at 38 knots, and with big offshore shifts, the racing was full-on.
Even without clean starts, I managed to get around the top mark in 8th place in races 3 and 5—something I’ve struggled to do in these kinds of conditions. I slipped back a bit as each race wore on, which gave me some clear takeaways about needing to build more endurance for heavy-air days. After not doing myself any favours on day five, I closed out the regatta with a 15, 22, 14 to finish 63rd overall. It was a personal best for me, but I know there’s still plenty of room to grow as I push toward LA 2028.
Road to LA 2028: Next Stop, ILCA North American Championships
Up next, I will compete in the 2025 North American Championships on the Olympic waters of LA 2028 from June 12 to 15.