Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine 2019 728x90

This Wednesday: Q&A Live Call with Nik Burfoot, Laser World Champion, on how to adapt your technique

by Andy Rice 19 Apr 2022 08:31 PDT
Q&A Live Call with Nik Burfoot, Laser World Champion, on how to adapt your technique for superior boatspeed © RoadToGold

Nik Burfoot pioneered a new style of hiking that powered him towards becoming one of the dominant forces in the Laser during the 1990s. Competing against the likes of Robert Scheidt and Ben Ainslie, the Kiwi sailor was fourth at the Laser Worlds in 1993 before winning the world title in 1994. He narrowly missed out to Scheidt in 1995 and 1997, finishing runner-up to the Brazilian.

Nik will share the story of how and why he altered his hiking style for the Olympic one-design class and the speed and tactical advantage it gave him on the race course.

If you've watched the recent Q&A calls with Robert Scheidt and Ben Ainslie, you'll also get Nik's insights into what made them such formidable opponents and the lessons he learned from them.

Nik is very frank about the differences between himself and the Brazilian and British sailors who went on to win Olympic gold medals in the Laser. "I wasn't good at cutting my losses and getting back into races after mistakes. To start doing the obviously right thing - something Robert and Ben were the masters of.

"I became overly focused on winning races rather than regattas. I used to win a lot of races by 1 minute plus, which was fun but a waste. That should have been a warning that I was not well rounded enough across all conditions like Ben and Robert were."

If you're familiar with the principles of Road To Gold, you'll understand where Nik is coming from with his honest self-analysis. The clean and the dirty side of the vase. This promises to be a very frank and revealing conversation with one of the best Lasers of his generation.

HOW DO I SIGN UP (FOR FREE)?

It's free to get live access to the call, all you need to do is sign up here at www.roadtogold.net. It takes less than 30 seconds.

We'll give you a heads-up on our Facebook Group too, see details below.

WHEN?

The Q&A kicks off on Zoom at 1900 hours UK time on Wednesday 13 April/ 0600 hours NZ time on Thursday 14 April. (NOTE: Clocks have changed in some time zones at this time of year, so check your time compared to London time)

HOW?

Join Zoom Meeting with Nik Burfoot

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86392274275?pwd=K3NjdCsxRVRjTGpqSnY2T2lOc1lGUT09
Meeting ID: 863 9227 4275
Passcode: 488313

Make sure you're signed up to the Road To Gold Facebook Group to get further info on the call. www.facebook.com/groups/roadtogoldsquad

It's free the join the call Live, but if you can't make it live you can get downloadable recordings of this session and other Road To Gold Q&As by following the link below and subscribing to the calls at a very favourable rate:

To subscribe to Live Coaching Calls
www.roadtogold.net/p/calls

For more about the 12-step blueprint for a World Class Campaign visit www.roadtogold.net

Related Articles

Road to Gold with Jacopo Plazzi
Live Q&A and Race Analysis with SailGP coach It's just a few days out from the Season 4 finale of SailGP, with the showdown set to take place in San Francisco on 13/14 July. In a break with the usual format for Road To Gold Q&A live calls, we'll be looking at the unique challenges of SailGP. Posted on 6 Jul 2024
Emerging Nations follow World-Beating Blueprint
World Sailing has incorporated the Road To Gold program for the past two years With just three weeks remaining until the start of Paris 2024, sailors from 65 nations are making final preparations before travelling to Marseille. Among the sailors are athletes from countries who have never competed on the Olympic stage before. Posted on 5 Jul 2024
Road to Gold with Hugh Styles
Maximise your Time on the Water with the Olympic sailor & medal-winning coach It's no coincidence that Hugh Styles' coaching business is called Time On The Water. A former Olympic competitor in the Laser and Tornado classes, Hugh knows all about the importance of making the most of your time on the water. Posted on 1 Jul 2024
Road to Gold with Olympic medallist Aaron McIntosh
Live Q&A: From Olympic to America's Cup coaching Three years ago, Aaron McIntosh joined Road To Gold to talk about "The Power of the Squad", where we covered the importance of building a supportive culture and how to have fun while training. Posted on 25 Jun 2024
Road to Gold: Richard Parslow
Multiple dinghy & keelboat champion Richard Parslow has stayed at the front of the fleet for more than 40 years. From winning the Fireball World Championships with Kim Slater in 1980, through many championship wins in other dinghies and small keelboats. Posted on 17 Jun 2024
This Monday: Live Q&A with Allan Norregaard
How to punch well above your weight After a successful career in Olympic campaigning, including a bronze medal in the 49er at London 2012, Allan Norregaard has transformed into the Ethan Hunt of the coaching world... Posted on 7 Jun 2024
This Monday: Road To Gold Q&A with Chips Howarth
Fireball world champ & Cyclops tech boss "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king." Which is why high-performance sailors are increasingly turning to Cyclops for the accurate data they produce from their range of load sensors. Posted on 2 Jun 2024
Road To Gold Q&A with Konstantinos Trigonis
Multihull world champion and Olympic coach Technology and tools can be beneficial for learning and development, but ultimately it depends on how you use them. For Konstantinos Trigonis, it's crucial for sailors to be able to *feel* the boat and the conditions around them. Posted on 24 May 2024
Road To Gold Live Q&A with Dr Tim Herzog
Top sports psychologist discusses Effective Mental Imagery and Self-Talk We've all heard the importance of the Mental Game - the factor that separates the top athletes from the rest. At a certain level, it's not your sailing skills that make the difference, but your mental state going into the competition. Posted on 20 May 2024
Road To Gold Live Q&A with Annie Lush
3x Ocean Race veteran and Olympian After a successful career on the Olympic circuit and representing Great Britain in women's match racing at London 2012, Annie Lush has become one of the most in-demand professionals on the offshore scene. Posted on 12 May 2024
Selden 2020 - FOOTERSwitch One DesignHenri-Lloyd Dynamic Range