Success in Spain
5 weeks in Spain, 25 days on the water, 14 gym sessions, 2 regattas, and countless hours testing and tuning in Cadiz Spain has brought me to Palma De Mallorca for our first major event of the 2023 season.
Training in Cadiz was some of the most productive I have done on the IQFoil. The venue is perfect not only condition wise, but everything is a 5 minute bike ride away allowing the team to devote all of our energy into improving as athletes.
In my time there, I competed in two regattas, and I am thrilled to say I placed second, and first respectively. The second event (IQGames Cadiz) had a much higher level so I was thrilled to win it, showing me the plan we have and the work we are putting in is yielding results.
My first few days of the IQGames Cadiz were not my finest. I was battling a bruised rib which made certain movements induce sharp pain, which is unideal for a regatta. I still sailed decently and made it into the top 10, which qualified me for the medal race series on the final day. To understand the medal race system on the IQFoil, refer to the graphic below. My path through the medal race is highlighted by the blue arrows.
I was feeling good on the final day, and managed to sail 3 great races bringing me from 4th to first in the event. To say the racing was exciting would be a grave understatement. It was easily some of the most exciting racing I have ever done thanks to the cutthroat format of the medal races. I’m not sure I have ever felt adrenaline like I did crossing the finish line in first place in the final, and I am not sure anything can make me feel the same way besides winning another medal race. It was truly unbelievable and I will never forget it.
This monumental win is only possible through the ongoing support of all my donors, friends, and family who have helped me get to this point as an athlete. It has been such an amazing journey so far, and I have the utmost gratitude for everybody who has brought me to this point.
All the best
Noah
USA-6
