With over 375 youth sailors from all over the world and six different fleets, it was spectacular to see that many lasers in one place. Garda itself is a venue of pure natural beauty. After practicing in the north winds (traditional for Garda) for nearly a week, on regatta day the wind was light and shifty and coming from the south. These conditions were difficult for everybody, and even the top sailors struggled with consistent finishes. With such a fast fleet (nobody is “slow”), there was no room for errors. I made plenty of mistakes, between fouling and being fouled, as well as some sub-par tactical decisions, I sailed an event much below my abilities. The second day was south again however due to being the third start and hours of general recalls, my fleet did not get a start off. Thunderstorms were ever present, and added to the mix of delays and uncertainty into the regatta. The usual frustrations I might have felt were softened by the incredible beauty of my surroundings, with stunning mountain peaks diving into the glacial waters of the lake. If I were to choose any place to be in postponement, it would be Lake Garda.
The third day was out of the north again however it was not classic Garda conditions, for reasons I still do not understand the left was actually stronger on the upwinds. Oftentimes you would get a persistent lefty the farther left you went. By the time I caught on to this as a consistent trend (and not just a fluke), it was too late. The last three days the right was consistently stronger which made strategy a no brainer, but after having some bad first upwinds, I found myself having to play catch up for the entirety of the race, which was surprisingly easy and allowed me to get some of my best results of the regatta. All in all I learned a tremendous amount from this regatta, being on the world stage in a world class venue, with the best sailors representing each country. Although I didn’t get the results I had hoped for, it has made me even more determined to train hard, so that I can come back and get a good finish next year for SDYC. The friendships I made, as well as insight I have gotten into sailors around the world has been invaluable. Thanks to everyone for their support.