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It's not all plain sailing! Unfortunately not my finest hour this week at the Miami Sailing World Cup. I struggled to understand the conditions and missed a few too many opportunities but aside from the result I’ve had a great time and learnt so much.
Looking forward to hitting the racetrack again soon.
Happy new year!
What a year 2018 was. Best year of my life? Definitely. Full of so many great challenges, lessons and good times. It’s mad to think of the person I was this time last year and how much I have changed since, but I know that the process has brought me many steps closer to my goals.
Take a look through my photo diary below to find out how the end of 2018 went:
After another two week block in Portugal it was time to head home for Christmas. This time Jack and I had to drive back and after a rough night driving non-stop to make our ferry we made it on and was greeted by this lovely sunset as we left Bilbao.
Unfortunately the serenity didn't last long and as we headed into the open ocean we got caught in some huge storm swell which turned the entire ferry journey into a sickening rollercoaster! Not pleasant.
Finally arriving home a couple of days before Christmas day I was keen to get in as much fun sailing as possible and headed out for a couple of Waszp sails in Swanage, hitting a new top speed PB of 24.7 knots.
I also had time for a chilly windsurf session from Bramble Bush Bay over to Brownsea Island. It was great fun and although my equipment started falling apart in the middle of Poole Harbour I still managed to have a blast and make it back!
Heading into the new year it was great to reflect on some of my best moments of the year….
…. before heading back out on the bike to get some miles under my belt…
… as well as plenty of time in the Laser training with some huge waves in Swanage.
Training in Swanage.
Soon after new years I headed to Laser in Northampton to pick up my new Laser for the year. It was great to see the guys again and say goodbye to Joel, who has helped me over the last few years and is leaving to start a new job!
After a couple of days setting her up, my new boat was ready to go and I headed to Southampton to meet my coach, James Gray, who very kindly drove all our boats out to Portugal.
Some sunny but mild conditions greeted us in Portugal and combined with some very light winds we had a very productive training camp - we only saw about 3 clouds all week!
One of the only clouds of the week!
The cycling over there is always stunning and we ended up getting more than 150k done in over a week.
The road outside our accommodation. It is very relaxed and serene over there, not to mention cheap at this time of the year! My return flights were £18.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and as our first training camp of the year concluded it was time to head home. Despite all of the negative press Ryanair receive, I have had a great experience with them over the past few months and the astonishingly low fares and good service has left me quite a happy customer.
Welcome to Darwin Escapes, who are one of the fastest growing travel brands in the UK. They have a portfolio of 20 holiday resorts spread across various locations around the UK and have joined me on my journey for this year.
After a few days back home it was straight to Weymouth for a weekend of youth squad training. Yes it was a bit chilly but we got some fabulous conditions with pretty much everything over a two day period and I thoroughly enjoyed sailing back in the UK.
New sponsor stickers looking good on my new sail.
What’s next for me?
On Thursday I fly out to Miami for the first Sailing World Cup of the year. I’m very excited and confident I can perform and whilst the fleet is going to be extremely tough I’m looking forward to the fight.
I’ll keep you posted!
Sam
Hey,
After winning the Laser Inlands I have been awfully busy and winter training really has started for me. Have a browse of my diary of the last month or so in the pictures below:
At a very, very cold Rutland Sailing Club for the Laser Inland Championships. Was lucky enough to be given a Volvo V40 for the weekend - a very comfy and powerful drive I must say.
A tricky and typically shifty event, I was lucky to come away with the scoreline I did.
But in the end did manage to bring home the trophy for the second year in a row!! Congrats to the Radial fleet winner Ben Elvin (on the left) and Harvey Leigh (on the right) for winning the 4.7 fleet.
Heading back to Weymouth the next day it thankfully was about 15 degrees warmer and I got straight back into training with the other P3 lads.
One day we were even joined by a friendly dolphin in the harbour. in fact he/she has been sighted many times inside the harbour so we are all wondering if they are trapped or just chosen Portland as their new home?!
Going into some more training with the Youth Squad this time we had a pretty fruity weekend. After sailing for over an hour downwind we turned to look upwind to see this monstrous cloud only a few miles away. I had a bit of a joke and pointed at the cloud when this photo was taken but didn't quite realise what devastation this would actually bring!
15 minutes of a solid 45-50 knots was a pretty big shock to the system but it was great to spice up the training with a few new challenges (hahaha!).
However what these squally clouds did leave behind were some beautiful sunsets for us to look at.
Pleased to announce that I am presenting a new sailing TV series called Head To Wind. Aiming to do cool/crazy challenges on anything water related it should be a great watch so keep your eyes peeled for future episodes and subscribe at rya.org.uk/headtowind
Anyway in the episode above I attempt to pick up bits of plastic in the sea whilst flying on a foiling Waszp. Have a watch and see what you think.
Returning back home I had a new delivery from Sailing Chandlery to keep me well stocked and warm over the winter. At the moment you even get a free hat for any orders over £50 on any products from a clothing firm which rhymes with Bike….
I try and run coaching sessions one weekend a month and this time I was at Hayling Island for the RS Aero Youth Squad training. A fabulously warm weekend with plenty of wind and waves, it was great to see so many boats on the water and I had a blast coaching the top guys in the 7 rigs.
Some of you might have noticed that I now have a new official Sam Whaley Sailing logo. This is mainly to help keep my content branded effectively and more consistently, hope you like it!
With winter sailing in the UK pretty much wrapped up for 2018 we packed up and loaded our boats onto a trailer and set off on the long drive from the UK to Vilamoura, in Portugal.
Why leave the UK for training? Well the milder climate makes it great to get long hours on the water and experience a vast array of different conditions than you might encounter in the typically windy UK winter. Great to learn and develop my skills without the risk of hypothermia!
Unfortunately our ferry journey was far from simple; a huge storm not only meant our progress was significantly slower and bumpier than planned but the ferry had to divert to a different port in Spain - not ideal.
After ageing what felt like 3 years on the ferry we made it to Spain and set off for the long journey down all the way to Portugal.
Luckily our drive was made significantly easier by being able to drive this beast. Honestly is the comfiest, coolest and most relaxing car I have ever driven. The technology inside has a massive wow-factor and she is pretty much self driving meaning you really can relax on long journeys. Volvo V60
After a mammoth drive we arrived in sunny Vilamoura and set about getting ourselves ready for the intense block of 9 days training coming up ahead.
Conditions varied, predominantly windy with sizeable sea state but we also got some light winds to really test our adaptiveness.
Our training camp drew to a close with some serious hours done on the water and on the bike + in the gym. Here I am with team mate Jack Cookson celebrating the end of the camp on a pretty chilled out evening.
So our first block of winter training in Portugal finished and it was then time to fly home to the UK for some rest and recovery.
I fly Ryanair so much I deserve a loyalty card….
The day after getting home I was straight into filming for the latest instalment of Head To Wind, this time a race against a foiling wakeboard. Unfortunately the wind didn't play ball and it was much lighter than forecast which meant I did struggle on the Waszp. I did, however, win the final race to at least keep my dignity intact.
After a few days at home I then flew back to Portugal, where I am now, and am staying until driving back a couple of days before Christmas. Luckily the weather is still relatively good here and we’ve already done two epic days on the water. Fingers crossed the wind stays here until the end of the camp!
Thanks for reading.
Sam
A huge welcome to my new sponsor Actisense!
Actisense is a market leader in the manufacture of intelligent marine electronic products. They aim to be the installer's product of choice by making navigation safer with the most reliable boat electronic systems.
Signing the contract with CEO Phil Whitehurst.
Based in Poole, Dorset on the south coast of England, Actisense has established an enviable world-wide reputation within the specialist field of marine electronics. This has been achieved by providing an excellent level of service to our extensive client base and through the design and manufacture of prestigious marine electronic equipment.
Check out their website and social media here:
Very pleased to announce that yesterday I won the Laser Inlands Championships for a second year in a row! It definitely was one of the coldest events of my entire life, with the average temperature barely above 5 degrees on both days but I found a good rhythm with the conditions and managed to notch up four wins out of 6 races.
Travelling in style thanks to Volvo Cars UK.
Huge thanks as always to Sailing Chandlery for kitting me out with the best kit for the conditions.
