Kosinska to hit out against the Hyeres heavy metal in 2016 Olympic bid

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 26 Apr 2016 2016 Olympic aspirant, Natalia Kosinska (NZL) will face a star-studded field in the Women's RS:X event in the third round of the Sailing World Cup Hyeres.

The regatta runs from April 26 to May 1, in Hyeres France. It is one of two Sailing World Cup events to be held in Europe and has attracted 12 of the 14 women RS:X Windsurfer sailors who made the cut for their nations in the first round of 2016 Olympic Qualification at the ISAF World Championships in Santander, Spain in September 2014.

For Kosinska, it is the last chance to show her current form to the NZ Olympic selectors ahead of the expected second tranche of selections in the third week of May 2018, which will cover the single handed events.

New Zealand qualified in all ten Olympic events in Santander, but won't be in Rio in the Men's RS:X Windsurfer, the last two Olympic representatives, Thom Ashley (Gold medalist, 2008) and JP Tobin (2012 and seventh place at Weymouth) now out of the picture in coaching roles. Ashley has gone to work with the Chinese, and Tobin with the Brazilians. 2000 Bronze medalist, Aaron McIntosh (NZL) is working as a coach for the Dutch - having delivered their Gold medalist in 2012.

New Zealand has a glut of coaching talent in the Olympic windsurfer but a paucity of Olympic competitors.

Kosinska has been working with Ashley and Tobin and their respective charges in New Zealand before heading for Hyeres.

She has been in Hyeres since Tuesday. 'The first four days I sailed with the Polish team,' the former ISAF World Youth Champion told Sail-World, from Hyeres. That team comprised the 2016 Women's World Champion, the 2012 Olympic Silver medallist in the RS:X and a third sailor who is acknowledged as being the fastest in the world in heavy air.

'We have two days of it being windy onshore and two days of windy conditions with offshore breezes. Then I have been resting yesterday and today.

'The first two days I was getting into the zone, as in Auckland we haven't had much in the way of planing conditions. I wasn't very fast at first but know I feel much better.

'I have bought a new mast which seems to be good. I've also bought one of my new sails - which seems to be good also, so I am now happy with my speed.'

'Two of the Polish sailors are heavy air specialists - so I am slower than them, but I was matching two of their other sailors who are closer to my size. That is good for me. I am not going to win in heavy winds, but if I can get top ten places in those conditions, it will be good,'she adds.

On the flip side, Kosinska had two weeks training in New Zealand against the Chinese group, which included the 2015 Women's World Champion. The Chinese are renowned for their speed in light winds, so Kosinska has enjoyed a balanced build up, against top talent, ahead of the Sailing World Cup Hyeres.

Ahead of the start of the regatta, there will be two days of Practice racing involving a fleet of 15 sailors.

Racing starts with Race 1 on April 27, with four days of three races per day, followed by a Medal Race on the fifth day for the top ten sailors.

The fleet is limited to 40 sailors, with each country being allowed at least one entry. There are three sailors entered from Kosinska's native Poland.

Kosinska will switch training teams from Poland to Brazil, now that their 2016 Olympic representative Patricia Freitas has arrived along with her new coach, JP Tobin (NZL).

'We had a meeting this morning. I will sail together with Patricia and we will do a final tune-up. Before the races I will do the same with Patricia, and check the sides of the course - so it should work well for both of us.

'JP has been very helpful as well,' she adds.

'It is interesting because I never experienced JP as a full time-coach. But he is really good from the mental side as well as the speed. Because he is a really good sailor, you take his word, for it. Where sometimes when you work with a coach who has not been a good sailor, it is a bit different.

'So now I feel like I want to keep going and get more of that training and knowledge.

'I am in a better position now than three months ago, because I have better gear, and have been in the New Zealand training camp. My only issue is that I haven't done much recently in a breeze - and this looks like it is going to be a windy regatta.

'But if I go out early and tune up well, I think it still can be good,' she says.

'I can't do anything more, than what I have done.'

The fleet will be very very close racing as it is 40 of the top sailors in the world.

The Chinese will not be entering their 2015 Women's World Champion, Peina Chen. 'Tom Ashley doesn't want Peina to race in big fleets anymore,' Kosinska explains. 'His thinking is that it is not what you get at the Olympics, and they are just focusing on other things. That makes sense,' she says. 'In windsurfing at the Olympics, we only have 24-26 entries.'