Gabrielle King

Update

2012-01-15T12:34:00.002+11:00

Unfortunately my chronic fatigue has flared up again resulting in my withdrawal from the Laser Nationals. I've discussed the matter with my parents, my doctor, and Laura and I feel at this stage I need to take some time off competitive laser sailing until I know my body can handle the demands of campaigning. This was a very difficult decision for me as I still have big dreams and ambitions for sailing - hopefully I can get my health back on track and come back to them.

Thank you for your support over the years.

Gabe

Nationals

2012-01-04T08:24:00.000+11:00

Unfortunately I have had to retire from the Nationals. I have been having some issues with my chronic fatigue again. It was a very difficult decision for me, but I have learnt I have to put my health first.

Thanks,
Gabe

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-24T09:41:00.000+11:00

It's hard to believe it's already the holiday season! After the Worlds in Perth I spent some lovely time catching up with friends. I'm now up in northern NSW for Christmas with my parents and then I'll be heading up to Brisbane for the Nationals.

Thank you for your continuing support, I am so very grateful.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas,

Gabe

NSWIS awards night

2011-11-30T16:53:00.000+11:00

Well its been a busy month full of sailing, exams and travel.

Sail Melbourne was on at the start of November. It was the first chance in a while to do some nice big fleet racing and we had quite a good fleet in the radials. It was a valuable regatta to do with some tricky conditions and tight racing, definitely a good platform to identify and address some weaknesses. A major achievement for me was making some major progress in my starting which hopefully I can carry over into the Worlds. I also came away feeling quite confident in my speed in most conditions, especially on the downwinds.

From Sail Melbourne it was straight back home to sit my uni exams (thanks to UNSW for being so accommodating). It's definitely nice to have that out of the way so I can now just concentrate on sailing, as during Sail Melbourne I was studying before and after sailing.

I also attended the NSWIS awards night where I was a finalist in the Academic Excellence category. I was thrilled to win the award! It was a fantastic evening full of inspirational people all pursing excellence.

Now I'm in Fremantle (WA) in the final days of preparation before the Worlds. The weather here is glorious and I've had some great training with Laura Baldwin (coach) and Krystal. Today is a rest day and I've been enjoying curling up on the couch reading a book.

Looking forward to racing starting on the 5th!

Cheers,
Gabe

Coasts

2011-10-17T09:19:00.000+11:00

On the weekend I went up to Toronto on Lake Macquarie for the NSW & ACT Laser Association Coast Championship. Lake Macquarie was as beautiful as always and Toronto Amateur Sailing Club were very welcoming and made everyone feel at home.

Day 1 was light and tricky. My speed was good and I had a fairly good overview of what was going on and managed to get two bullets. Day 2 was also tricky, with the breeze coming and going and shifting around a lot. I was trying to put myself in tricky situations that I would normally avoid and so ended up doing 720s in 2 of the races. But it was good because I learnt a lot about what works and what doesn't and I'll be able to take that into the major regattas coming up where I want to know my limits. I was also trying to really push my starts, and got done on an individual recall in one race. Again, I'm very happy about this as it means I'm starting to get over my long-term fear of the start line. But it did mean I spent a lot of the day playing catch-up...

I finished 2nd overall and 1st woman. I had a great weekend, really enjoyed the tricky conditions, and it was great having some other boats to play with.

Thanks,
Gabe

Ladies Laser Clinic

2011-09-20T17:11:00.000+10:00

On the weekend I went up to Sunshine on Lake Macquarie where SLMASC was hosting a Ladies Laser Clinic. Well Sunshine held up to its name and we had beautiful weather and a great turnout with 20 ladies showing up. Coaching were Laura Baldwin (who organised the event), Alex South and myself. I had a fantastic time meeting some new people and being able to give back to the sport that I love so much. Thanks to YNSW, the NSW&ACT Laser Association and PSA for supporting the event.

Aside from that I’m still busy studying and training continues as normal: spending time on the water, in the gym and on the bike. I’m really looking forward to the Summer regattas and competing again, with the main focus being a good result at the ISAF Worlds in Perth (our final selection event for the Olympics).

Cheers,

Gabe

Kiel

2011-06-25T13:45:00.000+10:00

Kiel Week continued the trend of wind in Europe and was a fantastic regatta to finish my Europe Campaign on. It has such a great atmosphere with all the festivities of Kieler Woche going on, and any regatta that has strawberry picking and crepes is going to be good!

It was a smaller fleet then Sail for Gold, but tricky racing kept everything tight, and meant it wasn't over until you crossed the finish line. The clouds had a lot of (confusing) influence on the wind, and most days we saw 4 seasons in a race as the weather went from sunny to rainy to cloudy and back again, and the wind strength varied to suit. One race in particular a massive rain squall came through on the last upwind, and my motivation was "got to get to the top mark before the rain stops and the wind dies." Luckily hiking hard pays off, and I came 4th in that race.

There were some long days on the water, as 10 races were scheduled in just 4 days. So we kicked off the regatta with a monster 3 race day. On the plus side, it made 2 races the next day seem like a breeze!

Day 4 saw us go out and bob around on the water waiting for the wind to come. After over 5 hours on the water the race committee cancelled racing for the day. In some ways it was a relief as it looked like it was going to be a very random day, and I sitting in 7th with a nice buffer. So it was on to the medal race!

The only piece of bad news for the whole trip is that on arriving on the morning of the medal race I discovered someone had stollen my rudder. Jared saved the day and lent me his and I'm sure Karma will catch up with the thief.

It was my first proper medal race, which was very exciting. Held on the course area close to the harbour meant there was lots of land influence and little shifts to play. I had a solid first upwind, and then an amazing downwind which put me in 2nd place, which I held for the rest of the race.

The medal race saw me move into 6th overall!

Congratulations to Paige (USA) for putting together an amazing series for the win, and Krystal (AUS) for second.

I've definitely learnt a lot through this trip, and in general have been very happy with how I've been sailing. The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, and I know what I need to work on to make my next steps forward. Most importantly I enjoyed every minute of it!

I'm now safely back in Sydney, dealing with jetlag, and trying to study for the exams I missed while I was away. A bit of time off from sailing while I get through my exams, then back into training for Worlds in Perth at the end of the year.

Cheers,
Gabe

Delta Lloyd

2011-06-05T19:15:00.000+10:00

Well Delta Lloyd certainly lived up to its reputation as being a windy regatta! For the entire regatta (except day 2) it blew dogs off chains. And what fun it was! The windy weather definitely allowed the Australian's to show off how we love sailing in breeze! Unfortunately I missed the medal race, but finished 11th overall. I'm very pleased with this result as it was the first regatta for the season.

It was great staying so close to the regatta site. And I got great delight from 18 ducklings that would come and visit us at dinner time every day. They were obviously very used to people as they would eat out of our hands. Very cute.

Had a day seeing the sights in London (being a tourist is exhausting!) and am now in Weymouth. The weather here had been lovely, but its turned cold just in time for the regatta which starts tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting racing again.

Cheers,
Gabe

Leaving for Europe

2011-05-16T21:04:00.000+10:00

Well its the final flurry of activity before leaving for Europe on Wednesday. It's been an interesting preparation for this trip to Europe, but I think I've got my head in the right place to go over and make the most of it.

I've got three regattas lined up: Delta Lloyd, Sail for Gold, and Kiel. Will keep you all updated on how things are going over there.

Thanks for your support!

Cheers,
Gabe

Blues Dinner

2011-04-14T10:46:00.000+10:00

I recently attended the UNSW Ben Lexcen Launch and Blues Dinner (www.sportandrec.unsw.edu.au/news/annualbluesandsportsawards). This is sports night of nights at UNSW and is always an inspiring evening.

I am lucky to be a recipient of the UNSW Ben Lexcen scholarship, which helps me with negotiating flexible study options and special considerations so I can continue following my sailing dreams. Helen Bryson is superwoman in managing all the elite athletes at UNSW and helping make the impossible possible!

Following the Lexcen Launch was the Blues dinner. It was an impressive night for sailing with Dr Melanie Webb being inducted into the Hall of Fame for windsurfing, and Lisa Darmanin (who was a teammate at the ISAF Youth Worlds) being awarded the Female Athlete of the Year!

Uni and training are keeping me busy, and both are going well. I've been spending some time on the water with Team Singapore, which has been great for getting the motivation levels up! Unfortunately it seems more and more that we are leaving summer behind us, and I'm sure its only a matter of time before the winter woollies will be coming out.

Cheers,
Gabe

Miami OCR

2011-02-03T05:41:00.000+11:00

My first trip to America! How exciting! Coming from the warm Aussie summer I was met by the equally nice Miami sunshine (unfortunately things would turn a bit colder later in the week). Had a little bit of an adventure finding out where I was staying - my phone decided that global roaming was overrated leaving me hoping that everything would magically work out, which it did.

The sailing was tricky (as I'm told Miami always is) but for the first half of the regatta we had good breeze for all the racing. I had my usual issues getting of the start line, but was blessed by some good downwind speed to help pull back some places. On Day 4 of the event we sat around in glass all day and had a very long very light race (almost half the fleet didn't finish in the time limit). Day 5 saw the Race Committee pump out 3 great races in some very confusing conditions. We started off in an oscillating breeze for Race 8, which turned into a persistent lefty for Race 9, before a persistent righty switching back to oscillating for Race 10. This made for some very interesting racing, and in Race 10 three-quarters of the fleet went around the final gate mark at once, for a very intense bottom reach and a very busy crossing of the finish line!

Now I'm up in Vancouver (why did I think that coming to Canada in the middle of winter was a good idea?! Its so cold! Very pretty though...) for a weeks break before heading back to Florida for some more training and a couple more events.

Cheers,
Gabe

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T08:15:00.000+11:00

Sail Sydney and Sail Melbourne were both good events. Some tough racing, and quite interesting weather conditions. The racing picture is starting to emerge again, but still lots of stuff to work on, including my never-ending battle with starting! So now I'm three-quarters of the way through the Aussie summer circuit (I'm looking forward to the nationals) and it's a chance for some down-time up at my mum and dads for Christmas.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Gabe

Perth International Regatta

2010-11-27T14:19:00.000+11:00

Perth International Regatta was my first event back after my health issues. And with the show of international talent that had made the trip down to Australia it was straight in the deep end! It was a tough event, and it was only on the last day that I started managing to race properly again. But it was nice to see that my speed and fitness are coming along ok, all things considered.

I'm sure it's going to be an invaluable summer, albeit an incredibly hard one. I know there are going to be a lot of ups and downs as I get my head back into racing, and I can't wait for the challenge! A big thank you to all the people who have been supporting me through this tough year. I know I wouldn't be back on the water without you all.

Loving being back on the water!

Gabe

Nationals

2009-12-30T14:28:00.000+11:00

Unfortunately I have had to withdraw my entry from the nationals due to my health. I'm improving slowly but am not quite there yet and am very much looking forward to getting back in the boat. I will enjoy a few weeks relaxing at home with the parents and wish everyone the best of luck for their own sailing.

Hope everyone has happy holidays!

Gabe

Sail Brisbane

2009-11-25T16:39:00.000+11:00

As some of you may know I have had fatigue plaguing me over much of the year. I have recently been referred to a new doctor who has made some headway into determining the cause of the problems. It is on her advice that I have withdrawn my entry for Sail Brisbane. I will be watching the regatta from the coach boat. My entry in the other regattas of the summer is pending the doctors advice.

Good luck to all those competing.

Gabe

AIS Fitness Camp

2009-11-02T18:41:00.000+11:00

I've just returned from 4 days down at the AIS in Canberra for an ASDS fitness camp. The camp focus was screening and fitness testing as they released the new testing protocol. Very exciting was the incorporation of a new hiking test for us Laser sailors.

Throughout the camp we also had access to some of the support staff which we don't normally see so much. Rosie (our amazing sports psychologist) gave several talks which were very useful in identifying thought processess and their effects on our performance. Donna (physio) told us how important it is we look after our bodies and Louise (nutrition) gave a reminder of what we should and shouldn't be eating. We also had a few sailing talks run by some of the State coaches which were good for putting our minds back in the boats.

Being surrounded by some of the amazing athletes at the AIS is always an incredible experience. Also the energy and comradery that we (the ASDS) as a group had was great to be around again.

I also found out that the Radials will be doing some work with Fletch over the coming months. I'm really excited and think this will be a valuable experience - Fletch has a wealth of knowledge that I'm looking forward to tapping into.

Thanks,
Gabe

Coasts

2009-10-28T11:40:00.000+11:00

On the weekend we had the Laser Coasts Championship held this year at Toukley Sailing Club on the Central Coast. There was a great turn up for the event, with several sailors making the trip from Queensland and South Australia! Day One was lovely sunshine, and a nice light tricky breeze that created some very interesting racing. We managed to get 3 good races in, which I am excited to say I won all of. Day Two was overcast, but a much more stable breeze. The intention was for 3 races, but the weather gods had different ideas, sending a lovely thunder storm that shortened race 2 and sent us in for an early pack up. I finished first in the radials, with Nick Howe 2nd and Will Howard 3rd.

The NSW & ACT Laser Association AGM was also held on the Sunday and I am the Youth Rep again this year. I hope to continue the momentum created from last seasons youth training camps - it was very nice to see a strong youth fleet at this event.

In other news, on Friday I'm heading down to the AIS in Canberra for the ASDS fitness camp.

Gabe

Yachting Australia Awards

2009-10-18T14:04:00.000+11:00

On Friday night I travelled to Melbourne for the Yachting Australia Awards night where I was a finalist as Youth Sailor of the Year. The other finalists were Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin, Ashley Stoddart, and James Sly and Andrew Gillies. It was a great honour to win the award for a second time and to spend a wonderful evening surrounded by some of the amazing people who make up the sailing community.

In other news I have basically just been back on the water with Erik, training with Stuart and we have been joined a few times now by Nick and Joe. Nice to have some new company. A recent training session with the 470s also provided some entertainment and a different group dynamic.

In a few weeks time I head down to the AIS with some other members of the ASDS for a fitness camp. So I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Gabe

Hi There

2009-08-21T19:33:00.005+10:00

This website stems from my recent trip to Europe where I had so many people wanting updates on how things were going. As I campaign towards the 2012 Olympics, I imagine this will be a situation I encounter again. So, better late than never!

I'll start with a quick summary of my recent news: Over June and July I was in Europe and Japan competing in Kiel, the Europeans and the Worlds. This was my first time doing some of the European circuit and an amazing experience. I'm now back in Australia busy catching up on Uni work, and getting back into my fitness routine. I will start back on the water again at the end of the month.

A massive thank you to all those who contacted me while I was away. Your kind thoughts and well wishes were greatly appreciated. Also, thank you to everyone who has supported me so far: My parents, friends and family; Yachting Australia; NSWIS; Zhik; PSA; Middle Harbour Amateur Sailing Club. Without you I could not have done it.

Cheers,
Gabe