Tasmanian Sailing Academy Sailors getting ready for Radial Worlds

7:57 AM Mon 25 May 2009 GMT

'Sail training - just before sunrise' Richard Scarr Click Here to view large photo

Laser sailors Chris Jones, Elliot Noye, Rohan Langford and Angus Barton have only 73 days until they will be taking part in the 2009 Laser Radial Worlds to be held in Karatsu, Saga ken Japan between Mon 3rd August and Mon 10th August 2009.

Dark 630 start for Laser training - Richard Scarr

The Tasmanian Sailors have begun a full training program to ensure they are fully prepared for the event. Their training includes sailing two-three mornings per-week before school with Richard Scarr. Launching at 6.30am (as you can see its dark) getting off the water by 8.10am, and then off to school.

Most mornings it is four degrees and Richard has to chip the ice off the mooring lines to get his coach boat ready.
However with the right gear on it is not so cold!

Coach Scarr said 'some mornings we have a lot of fog (as you can see from the picture below). This does make it a little hard to see and at times, we can only see a few metres in front of us. We have the problem of not being able to see land so getting back to the club can be a challenge. On other mornings we have a beautiful 10-15 knots.'

Training in the fog - Richard Scarr Click Here to view large photo

The rest of the team's training includes two-three afternoons on the water after school, two afternoons at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport gym and three cardio training sessions per week during their lunch-time break with Richard Scarr. On the weekends they race on Saturdays. And on the mornings there is no wind everyone is on the bikes do a 40km out and back hill course.

With this schedule in place, by the time the event comes around, the team will have sailed 60 out of the possible 73 days.

There have been 112 applicants from 30 countries chasing 80 available places in the forthcoming 2009 Laser Radial Worlds (ILCA mini-site).

The race organizers have put up an excellent website, with details of the events, access and accommodation. www.karatsu-sports.jp/yacht/english.html