Red Bull 49erFX- This is why we do what we do best

by Molly Meech and Alex Maloney on 8 Jul 2014 Red Bull 49erFX team of Molly Meech and Alex Maloney report on their second tour in Europe

This is why we come to Europe.

50 boats, from almost as many different countries around the world, on the same racecourse. At home, a tactical or boat-handling mistake might cost a place or two - here it is more like 10. This big fleet racing experience is critical to our build up to the Olympics in Rio 2016.

Our build up has been solid. As one of the first boats to arrive at the venue, we have seen the size and standard of the fleet grow day by day. We have noticed as the weather has changed, so has the vibe of Helsinki. The sun has come out, filling the city with tourists, locals and a lot of sailors.

Most of our time has been spent practicing racing. Joining in with the Brazilian team to set up racing with a bunch of other girls has been a great way to sharpen our skills and our appetite for racing. As usual, the conditions during the build up week were different to what is forecast for the week of racing. This is something that we need to take in our stride, and learn on the fly as the regatta progresses.

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For previous blogs from Alex and Molly click here