ST. PETERSBURG — The University of South Florida sailing team is hosting 36 teams at SkyBeach Resort in St. Petersburg for the ICSA Women's Fleet National Championships this weekend.
Earning a spot in the National Championships is more than just hopping in a boat and heading out on the water. The team has logged hours of physical and mental preparation throughout the year.
"We practice three days a week and we lift every Tuesday morning. We've been working out twice a week this entire year, building up strength," senior Cate Brennan said after Tuesday's practice session. "Doing a bunch of different drills at practice. Whether it's early in the morning or late in the afternoon into the night."
Brennan will sail with sophomore Ghislaine van Empel, who said reading the water and the wind is just as critical as being physically ready to compete.
"Is the wind shifting back and forth? Or, what are clouds doing, for example. Are we expecting a sea breeze, or not," van Empel explained. "Understanding what the wind is doing and understanding what the fastest way is to the next mark."
Competing on familiar water gives the Bulls an edge they are not taking for granted. Junior Kailey Warrior said training on Tampa Bay could make a difference.
"I feel like training in the Florida heat on Tampa Bay waters will give us, maybe, a comfort advantage, at least," Warrior said.
Warrior will sail with Madisen Hamai, who pointed to another benefit of hosting the event.
"Then there's the whole advantage of being able to sleep in your own bed at night. Not traveling for it. I think that's an advantage, as well," the senior added.
Leading the Bulls is head coach Allison Jolly, now in her 22nd season at USF. Jolly won a gold medal in the first-ever women's Olympic sailing competition in 1988. She's established a championship mindset in her program.
"Whether it's the Olympics or the nationals, you just have to focus on what you do, every day. Forget the hoopla, forget all the excitement. Which is a shame, because you want to be all excited for this event," Jolly said with a smile after practice. "But when you're out on the water you have to put that away."
Jolly outlined three keys to competing successfully on the water.
"Agility. You have to be agile. You really have to be strong. You need the upper body strength, you need the core strength. You need it all," she explained. "The final component is the mental part of it. It's like playing chess, only the chess board keeps moving underneath you."
Having a coach who's one of the biggest names in the sport can be a little intimidating, but Jolly's athletes praise her approach.
"She's really awesome, and she's really nice. She's really good at giving you constructive criticism," Brennan added. "Telling you what you're doing right, but also helping you learn what you can do better — even if it's just little things on the boat."
Van Empel echoed that sentiment.
"She's able to recognize what a person needs, and finds a personal approach to everybody," she said.
Hamai and Warrior will sail in A Division. Hamai began sailing her freshman year of college, while Warrior has been sailing since age five. Despite their different backgrounds, the two communicate seamlessly.
"I start by telling her where other boats are on the line. Counting us down, all of that. Whenever [we make our moves] Kailey is always giving me warnings," Hamai outlined. "That way, we can move at the same time and hopefully get good acceleration out of them."
Warrior said the key is keeping things simple and staying loose.
"We keep our boat pretty chill, too. Good mindset," Warrior added. "I'm just gonna have some fun, put everything I've got on the course, and see what happens."
For Jolly, the payhoff of coaching is the same for her as it's always been, and it never gets old.
"The reward of seeing student-athletes growing as people. The success on the water is nice, but the success off the water and the way they develop is what really makes me come back year, after year, after year," she said.
All of the action begins each day at 9:30am, but is subject to change due to inclement weather.
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