Noosa River: A hot bed for future Olympic yachties

12:05 AM Wed 14 Oct 2009 GMT

'Ryan Palk (Left) and Klade Hauschildt training in tandem' Ian Grant

Noosa River sailors Ryan Palk and Klade Hauschildt remain on course to achieve their personal career ambitions to represent Australia at the Olympics. The Sabot class graduates have already won individual Laser class National championships and represented Australia at World championships but remain totally focused on wearing the Green and Gold sailing rig at a future Olympic regatta.

Both are great mates and are fiercely competitive testing both mind and muscle with intensive personal training sessions under Craig Keen e at Jetts Noosa Gymnasium and equally demanding training sessions on the Noosa River.

'Fitness is a key factor and Craig has provided Klade and myself with the program to suit our sport, we are both physically stronger which has helped to improve our boat handling'. Ryan Palk said.
The Australian Sailing Development Squad athletes expressed their fitness and confidence on Tuesday afternoon when a 'Black northerly sea breeze' threatened to blow the stars off the national flag.

Ryan and Klade have trained in tandem for the past five years and they were not prepared to accept that the boisterous breeze which peaked 30 knots in gusts was above the upper limit or threaten to turn their training session into a test of survival sailing. They systematically rigged their identical Laser dinghies making sure that all the sail adjustment lanyards were secure.

'Our coaches Scott Sinclair, Adrian Finglas and Olympic Laser Medallist Michael Blackburn have provided us with a wealth of knowledge and they all agree that pre-race preparation on shore is paramount to winning on the water'. Ryan said.

There was some real 'grunt' in the breeze and the two talented sailors were stretched to the limit in the hiking straps but they continued to revel in the building breeze.

Both expressed their exceptional heavy wind skills with a session of gybing and slogging upwind with very little separation in boat speed before an electrical storm cut their training session short.
However while they were drenched by spray from the power sailing conditions the session again revealed why the duo are highly regarded by their coaches and raced rivals.

They have the collective understanding that the time taken to include endless training sessions with physically demanding workouts at Letts 24/7 Gymnasium will be important when they compete for medals under the Team Noosa battle-flag at the major International Sail Brisbane, Sail Sydney and Sail Melbourne championships later this year.

Ryan will continue to focus on racing in the Olympic Laser dinghy while his lighter and slightly younger training partner Klade Hauschildt has decided to compete in the Olympic 470 class.

'We are both in for the long haul and fully realise the benefits from the time spent with the extra physical fitness has contributed to sailing smarter and faster on the race course'. A fit and happy Ryan Palk said.

by Ian Grant

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Noosa River: A hot bed for future Olympic yachties

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