Ainslie admits exhaustion after Finn comeback

By Ben Ainslie

IT was genuinely really exciting to be back racing the Finn again at Skandia Sail for Gold although I can honestly say I have never been so physically exhausted in my whole sailing career as I was at the end of the fourth day of the regatta!

BACK ON THE BOAT: Ben Ainslie returned to Olympic class sailing for the first time since winning his third Olympic gold medal in Beijing at the recent Skandia Sail for Gold regatta (Mark Lloyd)

Having not raced in the Finn since Beijing 2008, my expectations going into Sail for Gold were realistic; I knew my preparation had been minimal, that my sailing fitness was not going to be there and I was below my optimum racing weight meaning I was likely to struggle in the heavier breezes.

But overall I was really pleased and heartened by how things went and enjoyed the challenge of trying to overcome the things that I was finding more difficult or struggling with a bit.
 
Although I did feel underprepared for Sail for Gold, a few weeks beforehand I spent three days training with the Kiwi sailor Dan Slater and that made a big difference as my body got used to being back in the boat and hiking out again, muscle memory is a big thing and your body has to remember what it feels like to complete certain actions and techniques.

As a result I knew I was going to be able to sail the boat and my boat handling was going to be okay it was just going to be the lack of racing practice and sailing fitness I was going to have to deal with.
 
I found going upwind in the breeze very difficult and quite slow, which was frustrating. Seeing it as a challenge and trying to get the best result I possibly could at the times I was struggling, was important and I was really pleased that even in those races I was able to post some reasonable results.

That was a hugely positive mental boost and there is almost a brutal satisfaction that comes with pushing your body physically to its limits. There were also times I struggled with calling the breeze and getting on the right side of the shifts; I think I've got used to relying on Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson for that in our TEAMORIGIN racing so I need to get my eye back in on that front.
 
However I was really pleased with how my free pumping downwind developed throughout the week. On day one I found it hard physically and technique wise plus I had a lot of catching up to do. By the middle of the week I was as fast if not faster than a lot of the guys.
 
In terms of the rest of the fleet I was really impressed with the progress a lot of guys had made, and the hard work that has obviously gone in, particular my Skandia Team GBR teammate Giles Scott, who won the event, France's Jonathan Lobert and the Croatian Ivan Gaspic, who has probably been the stand-out sailor over the past couple of years. Boatwise some of the guys were trying out a few new things but there was nothing ground-breaking.

My coach David Howlett has done a great job in making sure my Finn was competitive in-line with the rest of the fleet.

Being back with the rest of the Team GBR guys was great, I caught up and spent ti me with a lot of old friends and it just felt very familiar and comfortable. So much has gone on since Beijing, people have got married and had babies, and it was a very nice environment to be a part of again.

I am also clear now what the situation is regarding London 2012 qualification and next summer is going to be really important.

After the Dubai Louis Vuitton Trophy America's Cup event in November it is my plan to go back into full-time Finn training over the winter, probably spending time in Southern Europe, with an eye on the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta in January being the next time I race in the Finn.

For more from Ben Ainslie, visit benainslie.com