Update: July 2014
Hi guys
I try to continually remind the younger athletes i work with, that it's OK to find a balance in their lives; that sailing and professional athletics sometimes isn't the "be and end all"...Easier said than done!
Sustainability is something a lot of top athletes struggle with - you regularly hear of people burning out, both physical and mentally.
And its a lesson hard learnt. I've learnt not to question the process too much, I trust in myself and the great team around me - over the last few months training has been fantastic, but so has other aspects of my life and professional development. By refocussing certain areas of life and applying a similar approach as my sailing career, i've been able to find a great balance.
I'm really please with my progress right now, both on and off the water - long may it continue!
Chris Russell Sailing partners with Fabyouless
We're delighted to announce a new partnership between The Fabyouless Card and Chris Russell Sailing.
Fabyouless, is currently taking the UK health and beauty market by storm as an exciting and unique consumer loyalty service. The company, have joined forces with Chris to help support him in his campaign over the next 3 years towards the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Fabyouless has become well-established in a short time since its launch just a few months ago, in no short part to some high-profile celebrity endorsements and an aggressive marketing strategy. The consumer loyalty card offers users the chance to receive discounts on existing health, fitness and beauty services, through partner enablement. A simple sign-up fee entitles users to widespread discounts on brands they currently use in their local area.
Chris has spent a lot of time with Jo Kent, MD of Fabyouless over the past few months, getting to know the brand and understand their vision for the UK health market.
“The direction which Fabyouless Card is heading in is extremely exciting” Chris says. “Their market coverage since their initial launch phase has been so impressive, and I fully support their attitudes towards health and fitness. Fabyouless certainly isn’t in the same space as my normal sponsors – it’s defiantly a unique partnership for me, and a really exciting one. I’m delighted to be working with them and to have their support on the Road to Rio. I hope to be able to bring some expertise and new perspectives to the table and I hope all of the Fabyouless readers and users benefit from having me on board”.
Jo Kent adds,. “We are extremely pleased to be working with Chris, and are looking forward to his valuable contribution to the Fabyouless expert panel, and supporting his well-deserved success on his route to Rio.
Chris has joined the Fabyouless Expert Panel and will be providing health and fitness tips to the Fabyouless community moving forward. You can also expect a featured blog every month from Chris, on his experiences on the Road to 2016. He joins the likes of Ian Denson, celebrity hairdresser, Tariq Idris, Harley Street dentist and Dr Vincent Wong, Cosmaceutical expert to the stars, on the Fabyouless roster all offering invaluable advice and tips to Fabyouless Card holders. Together with Debbie Arnold, Corrie, Eastenders and Emmerdale star, as Brand Ambassador, the team are set to make a great impact. Chris will also be able to take advantage of the fantastic support network the company has to offer.”
Fabyouless Card and Chris Russell Sailing will begin their partnership in May 2014.
For more information Fabyouless Card please visit http://www.fabyouless-card.com
Happy Holidays
Hi guys
If youre anything like me, switiching off and downing tools for a period of time is not easy. The mobile or tablet that has become an extension of your arm, or in my case, pulling on the trainers or sailing gear every day, are not easy things to let go.
But earlier this month i did exactly that - I took my coaches advice and took a holiday! A welcome break from training and racing - and I was quickly reminded of the importance of switching off from time to time. Let's be clear, I don't just mean recovery or down time, I mean complete relaxation. When was the last time that happened for you? Well 10 fabulous days in Tuscany did exactly that.
And the result: I have come back to training this week fully refreshed and with a ton of motivation for the second part of the season.
So whats next?
I'm training right now in Roses, northern Spain for a week or so with my training partners. And from here I will head straight to the Eurosaf Champions Trophy in Kieler Woche, Germany. This is the first of a series of races in the Baltic, as I then head to the European Cup event in Warnemunde, quickly followed by it's Polish equivalent.
A busy few weeks ahead so I'm glad I took the opportunity to relax and properly prepare at the right time.
You can follow all of the action on as ever, here or on Facebook! Thanks for following!
Sail hard
Chris
Mallorca Recovery Day
Hi Guys
Sunday=Recovery Day in Mallorca!
Sun is shining and life is pretty good. Well just because it's a recovery day doesn't mean the feet are up! I've got a few miles to do on the bike today and - it just means "less" hours of training today :)
Last week I raced my first World Cup of the year - the Trofeo Princes Sofia in Palma, Mallorca. The conditions were really challenging - normally Palma presents "champagne" sailing conditions to rival anywhere else in the world, but the weather chose not to play ball this year and we were greeted with cold temperatures and a lot of wind and rain.
The regatta started really well for me - speed is good right now and i'm pleased with the way i'm sailing. I was highly competitive at the front. A small number of tactical mistakes cost me big in a a really big fleet which put me in the middle/rear of the pack following qualifying rounds which was disappointing.I recovered what i could from the final days of racing but will take a lot of positivity from the racing.
Next stop: Split, Croatia for the Olympic week starting on Thursday. It's an Irish team Trials regatta fr the World Championships later this year so should be a great event.
Keep Sailing
Chris
Chris Russell Sailing partners with PEAK cyclesport
We're delighted to announce a new partnership between PEAK cyclesport and Chris Russell Sailing.
PEAK cyclesport, the Macclesfield based bike fitting specialist, have joined forces with Chris to help support him in his campaign over the next 3 years towards the Rio 2016 Olympics.
PEAK cyclesport is a well-established brand in the world of cycling in the North West. They offer some of the world’s leading and most premium brands across road, triathlon, mountain and hybrid bikes. They pride themselves on providing a unique and end-to-end service, which focuses on attention to detail and excellent customer service, guaranteeing bike fit and fitness for purpose.
Chris spent time with Andy Bowers, owner of PEAK cyclesport, last week, when he also picked up his bike and training to help him through this winter period. Chris will be riding a new Wilier Montegrappa, with Mavic Avenir carbon shoes and Shimano R550 pedals and cleats.
Chris was also able to take advantage of the intensive consultation process which PEAK cyclesport offers, enabling him to access the very best equipment to suit his training needs, a dynamic bike fit process, and a bespoke position analysis. “The process we went through in finding and fitting me to a bike was excellent”, Chris says. “It’s refreshing to see such care and attention given to the process of making sure you understand and are involved in the basic processes, rather than being sold something “off the shelf”. The bike I’ve been paired will be able to endure the rigours of training and travel – it’s not built for outright performance, nor is it solely for comfort – it’s a really nice balance of the two. It’s going to allow me to get the miles done”.
Chris is a CTS scholarised athlete, and works with expert coach Andy Applegate. Cycling has always been an integral part of Chris’ land based training, and the expertise of PEAK cyclesport will be a valuable additional resource. “They have a wealth of expertise”, Chris says, “and I’m always open to new ideas and approaches. Through the partnership I’ll be able to tap into their experience from a training perspective, access servicing and maintenance, and ensure that the perfect bike fit means I’m getting the most from my training whilst ensuring I don’t get injured”.
“We’re really looking forward to working with Chris to achieve his goals. He’s got a great team behind him but the demands of a programme to achieve Olympic success means there’s always room for further support”, reinforces Andy.
PEAK cyclesport and Chris Russell Sailing will begin their partnership in November 2013.
For more information on PEAK Cyclesport, please visit www.peakcyclesport.com
Allington Hughes Law gets on board with Chris Russell Sailing
We're delighted to announce a new partnership between Allington Hughes and Chris Russell Sailing.
The North Wales and Cheshire based Law firm, have become the latest business to join forces with Chris to help support him in his campaign over the next 3 years towards the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Allington Hughes continue to build various positive links with local teams and events, such as a strong association with the North Wales Crusaders Rugby League team in Wrexham, Nant Conwy Rugby Club in Llanrwst and becoming title sponsors of the high profile Chester Food, Drink and Lifestyle Festival which is held annually at Chester Racecourse.
Louie Middlehurst, who heads up the marketing team at Allington Hughes, is looking forward to getting the firm involved with another exciting sporting story and is keen to keep the general public up to date with how Chris’s campaign is going via the firm’s various social networks.
‘As a firm who try to get involved as much as possible with local events and sports clubs, so we are extremely excited to have the chance of getting involved with Chris’s campaign for the Rio Olympics in 2016. Having met Chris on more than one occasion and getting to know a little bit more about his schedule, I know it’s going to be a lot of fun keeping our Blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts up to date with where he is in the world and how his progress is coming along.’
Allington Hughes Law specialise in a range of legal services, and are consistently challenging clients to present them with a case that they cannot handle. They have almost 40 fee earners across three offices in Wrexham, Chester and Llanrwst, which provides a vast amount of knowledge in nearly every corner of law ranging from Agriculture to Commercial Law, Family Matters to Employment, and a vast amount more.
Chris has spent time with Allington Hughes over the past few months, getting a better understanding of how the firm operates and how they are supporting local community activities.
"It’s always great to have the support of local businesses, in this case a higher profile regional solicitor. I have no doubt that Allington Hughes will be able to take advantage of our Medal Club and we'll be able to drive a hugely successful partnership moving forward", Chris says.
For more information on Allington Hughes Law, please visit www.allingtonhughes.co.uk or visit their Twitter (@AllingtonHughes) and Facebook (facebook.com/Allington.hughes) page.
Training Update - March 2014
Hi Guys
Overall the past few months have been excellent and I’m really pleased with what I’ve achieved across my training ahead of the 2014 race season.
I’ve spent a significant amount of time in new venues with new training partners, all with the goal of raising the intensity of my training work.
Late Feb I raced in Cadiz at the Andalucian Olympic Week. As expected it was a highly competitive regatta and it proved a great opportunity to test some of the things I’ve been working on over the winter. Put simply it didn’t go well – I didn’t achieve what I wanted to from this regatta from a training or racing perspective – but that’s ok. It was the first regatta of the year and these things happen – you learn from the mistakes and move forward. And I bounced back well.
A week’s recovery work, followed by some intensive land-based training and then straight out to Palma for the Arenal Training Camp.It took some time to get back up to speed but by the end of this mini-block, I was back on track, and learning loads.
So it bodes well for the next few months.
I have a really busy schedule coming up, including the ISAF World Cup in Palma, Mallorca, followed immediately by the Split Olympic Week in Croatia, again followed immediately by the ISAF World Cup in Hyeres, France. A lot of racing in not a lot of time, combined with a heap of travel.
You can follow all the latest news and updates as ever via facebook or twitter. Thanks so much for following – all the support is fab!
Keep sailing
Chris
Chris Russell Sailing partners with North Spar Rigging
We're delighted to announce a new partnership between North Spar Rigging Solutions and Chris Russell Sailing.
North Spar are a young and proactive yacht and structural rigging company. As well as representing all major brands of mast and rigging hardware, they are the Selden and Furlex Regional Centre for Wales and the North West. It’s hoped that the partnership with Chris will also help expand their presence in the national dinghy market. North Spar are also suppliers of Gottifredi Maffioli yacht ropes, which are regarded as some of the best sailing ropes in the world.
North Spar have a growing presence in the area, but also operate with an ever increasing international client portfolio. Chris will be using some of North Spar’s ropes, blocks and accessories across his training and racing programs moving forward.
"I'm thrilled to have North Spar's support", Chris says. "I'm looking forward to adding some new gear to my kit-bag and I am sure that they will help me to continue to train and perform at my best". “Byron is hugely enthusiastic and very supportive of my campaign so it’s great to have him on board”.
North Spar and Chris Russell Sailing will begin their partnership in November 2013.
For more information on North Spar, please visit www.northspar.com
Working With Elite Olympic Level Athletes
Andy Applegate - Carmichael Training Systems
I am often asked what the difference is between working with very elite level athletes and mid-level or even beginner competitors. One of the very biggest differences is of course available time. Sure the professional athlete has more time to train, but also and possibly even more importantly, they have more time to recover. More time to recover means that they can complete more difficult training sessions more frequently with a faster dissipation of fatigue compared to the athlete who has to balance workouts with a job and other life stressors.
Time can however work against the pro athlete as well. Most who have gotten themselves near the top of their chosen sport tend to be exceptionally driven, motivated to work as hard as they can to see the most improvements. With no time constraints these athletes are at risk for doing too much, too fast and driving themselves deep into fatigue and over training. Unfortunately without outside help this happens more frequently than one might think. Often I find myself telling people that a big part of my job is holding athletes back from the brink of doing too much. Managing periods of hard work with a balance of proper recovery is paramount to an athletes’ success.
Another interesting difference is that the Olympic level competitor tends to have a performance enhancement team rather than a single coach or mentor. This team can build an incredible support system for the athlete to help them get the best out of themselves. Sailing coaches, conditioning coaches, sports psych coaches and dieticians are some of the members one might find in a performance enhancement team.
The full time professional athlete also has the time and ability to pay very close attention to every minute detail of all aspects of training. The time constrained athlete usually needs to spend the vast majority of the time they have available on the general sport they are competing in. For example a sailor with constrained time needs to spend nearly all their available time in the boat or a cyclist needs to spend nearly every minute of training time on the bike. On the other hand the full time competitor has the ability to spend a significant amount of time working on things like strengthening support muscle groups in the gym or mental drills that will give them an edge during events.
As a coach I really enjoy working with athletes of all abilities and experience levels. This not only allows me to bring some of the training principles of top competitors down to less experienced athletes, but also, every once in a while, allows me to bring lessons learned by those lower level athletes back up to the professional as well.
Training Update - Nov 2013
Hi Guys
I raced recently at the Spanish leg of the European Cup in Palamos, Girona. A good regatta and i achieved my goals which is a huge positive. It was my first time out racing since picking up the small injury in my chest at the Irish Nationals in August, so it was great to be back and really benchmark where i am and how much progress i'd made over the past few months.
Some huge positives to take forward into this winter. Plus it was great to be back in Spain!
There's plenty of news and exciting projects coming up of the next few weeks so stay tuned
Sail hard!
Chris
Pro-Networks partners with Chris Russell Sailing
We're delighted to announce that Pro-Networks is the very latest business to lend its support to Chris Russell Sailing.
Based in Cheshire, for the last 10 years Pro-networks have specialised in IT service provision. From cabling, multimedia integration and wide area networks, to data security, network and application design, and system recovery; the team at Pro Networks pride themselves on being the first port of call for business IT needs.
Their bespoke approach to system design and application helps set them apart from the competition. As does the fact that every incoming support call is answered by a qualified engineer, which results in an industry leading rate of calls solved first-time.
"I’m delighted to have the support of such a fantastic company. Paul & Rob have been hugely supportive and it’s great to have such expertise available”, Chris explains.
“Despite being such a complex sport, high-performance sailing has a lot of catching up to do in terms of technology, and I’m really pleased that Pro-Networks shares my vision of how we can apply basic technology, in an innovative way, to realise performance gains across my training and racing”.
“We are pleased to be able to support Chris’ Olympic bid. Following his progress via technology provides a real talking point for our staff”, adds Rob Meakin, of Pro-Networks.
Chris shares some of the basic technology challenges most businesses face.
With a team based around the world, keeping Chris connected to them, especially whilst he’s on the move, is of paramount importance. Similarly he needs the ability to be able to keep in touch with and manage his sponsor relationships. Pro-networks will look to help Chris with keeping in touch with the right people at the right time, no matter where he is.
Likewise, ensuring data is uploaded, transferred, and shared in a timely and cost efficient manner is a regular challenge. The majority of training footage from Chris is logged as video. Pro-networks will assist Chris with storage and file transferring to help ensure he has the right data available at the right time.
For the last few months, the Pro-Networks team and Chris have been working hard behind the scenes, to develop a new solution, which they hope to reveal soon.
Chris explains: “Using the data feeds that we have in a much more intelligent way to help identify some of the areas of performance where we might need improvement, or extracting some key insights which we can use to help bolster racing performance”.
The partnership will see Pro-Networks continue to support Chris, as his Official Technology Supplier, across his campaign to Rio 2016.
For more information on Pro-Networks, please visit www.pro-networks.co.uk
For more information on Chris Russell Sailing, please visit www.chrisrussellsailing.com
Training Update - June 2013
Hi Guys!
Normally you'd find that the summer months are loaded with a heavy competition schedule. This year is slightly different - the World Championships are in Oman in Nov (due to the heat) and the Europeans are a little later as well in Dublin at the end of Aug. This basically means that the normal summer schedule doesn't exist. This presents a number of challenges - with no really big gaps in between competitions, how do you truly focus on a larger training block...and visa versa. So we've been creative with our use of time these past few weeks and i'm pretty confident that it will serve us well towards the back end of the year. I've been working hard with Jen, my nutritionist (www.mcdanielnutrition.com), on refining my training and racing protocols - If anyone out there needs any guidance in this area whatsoever, i'd highly recomend reaching out to her.
Meanwhile, we have some fantastic news coming up in the next few weeks so stay tuned for the announcements.
Sail hard!
Chris
2013 gear from STANNO - thanks guys!
Regatta Report – April 2013: ISAF Sailing World Cup – Hyeres, France
The final round of the 2013 World Cup took place last week in Hyeres. Last year was an epic affair, with breeze consistently between 30 and 40 knots. So I was delighted to see a light to moderate forecast for the week.
I started the qualifying round well, and consistently found myself competing at the front (it was nice to go toe-to-toe with Robert Scheidt at the end of day 1!). I was happy with my speed all round in the lighter conditions – a reflection of the great work we’ve put in last winter - but some big-fleet tactical errors cost me. Perhaps this was the downside of not having raced in such a big fleet since June last year.
I felt the full force of the new Olympic sailing format, which is being tested this year, as qualifying ended, and all gains made in the first 2 days were cancelled out.
In all, some goals achieved. But a large amount of learnings to take away and reapply for the rest of the season.
Next stop, the newly formed Eurosaf Champions Cup series, starting in Lago di Garda next week.
Free2Network Honourary Membership
Chris was delighted to recieve the first ever Free2Network Honourary Membership a few weeks ago. Find out more here >
Chris wins Europa Cup in Lugano (SUI)
So the score card for this season looks good so far:
Sailed: 1
Won: 1
We went into this regatta knowing it was very much a training event. Having been ill the last 2 weeks or so, i'd only just managed to get back in the boat and to start to bring myself back up to speed.
So my main goal here was to get some race-time (having been out of competition since October last year) and to put into practice all of the elements we've been working so hard on in training over the last 4 months.
I knew the regatta itself would be challenging. Lugano is surrounded by mountains, and is characterised by thermal, shifty winds. I raced here last year so knew the venue quiet well; that is to say, i knew to predict the unpredictable. So i set myself up well for a weekend of "anything can happen".
I was tactically strong and most importantly, able to put some of the winter's work to good effect on the race course.
To come away with a win is very pleasing indeed. It had been a long overdue and i'm delighted that i've finally been able to convert my efforts into a good performance. This bodes well for the season ahead!
I'd like to thank everyone who has and continues to support me. I have little doubt that we'll share in more successes this year.
Sail hard.
Chris
Chris Russell Sailing partners with Stanno UK
We're delighted to announce a new partnership between Stanno UK and Chris Russell Sailing.
Stanno, based in Holland, have a global presence and are market leaders in some areas of sports equipment and clothing.
More renowned as Team Sports Specialists in northern Europe, Stanno also offers a superb range of fitness wear, sports clothing and
accessories. Chris will be using some Stanno's line of StayFit clothing across his training programs moving forward.
"I'm thrilled to have Stanno's support", Chris says. "I'm looking forward to adding some valuable pieces to my kit-bag and i'm sure that they will help me to continue to train and perform at my best".
Stanno and Chris Russell Sailing will begin their partnership in March 2013.
For more information on Stanno, please visit www.stanno.com
ENJO supports Chris Russell Sailing
We're delighted to announce that ENJO is the very latest business to lend its support to Chris Russell Sailing.
Award-winning, Austrian based ENJO is pioneering the way we clean. Its core company values are similar to those shared by athletes, and their commitment to a better environment makes ENJO an obvious fit within the sailing world. ENJO products give better results, whilst seeking to improve your health, and saving you time and money.
ENJO will supply Chris with cleaning products to help keep his boat and gear in top condition for the duration of his campaign.
“We are so excited about this new partnership with Chris. ENJO is all about protecting our environment for future generations and when I met Chris, the link between his clean living life and our clean living products just seemed perfect!” said Catherine Adey-Davies, North Wales Sales Manager for ENJO. “I love the idea that Chris can now be cleaning his boat and equipment without polluting the water that he’s sailing in – this is really at the very heart of what ENJO is all about”.
"I’m delighted to have ENJO on board. Catherine, Simon and Linette have been hugely supportive and it’s great to have such passionate team supplying world class products. ENJO makes a fantastic range of cleaning products and I’m looking forward to using their fibre based kit”, Chris says. “ENJOtex fibre means that I’ll be able to keep my gear cleaner than ever, using methods which are completely safe for the environment as I’ll be adding is water”.
ENJO and Chris will begin their partnership in 2013.
For more information on ENJO, please visit www.enjo.net
Training Update - March 2013
Hi Guys
A quick update on what's been going on over the last few weeks.
Following the Xmas break we started the year incredibly strongly - training has been fantastic both on and off the water and i'm delighted with my progress so far. However, despite doing everything correctly, and, monitoring my health very closely indeed, 2 weeks ago i still managed to catch a chest infection which knocked me out a little.
Unfortunately sometimes you just get sick. Its easy to see how so many athletes struggle to cope with illness or injury - it's incredibly frustrating. And turning it into a positive rather than viewing it as wasted time is always a challenge.
The good thing (or bad depending upon how you look at it!) is that i've been here before, and knew exactly how to respond. We maximized our recovery time and shortened the period of illness substantially by simply applying what we've learnt before.
I've returned to pretty much full-fitness now and picked up exactly where i left off 10 days ago. Now i'm really looking forward to getting the racing season kicked off.
First up, is the Europa Cup 3rd Round in Lugano, Switzerland, starting next Thursday I raced there last year and conditions were totally unpredictable, so i'm expecting a challenge 4 days of racing.
We'll keep you posted!
Chris
Chris Russell Sailing partners with Active on Health
We're delighted to announce that Chris Russell Sailing will be partnering with Active on Health.
Active on Heath strives to improve health and change lives, through a holistic approach to nutrition and lifestyle management.
Chris will work with Active on Health within the local community to help drive awareness of the initiatives and workshops available, with the goal of promoting healthier lifestyles.
Sandy Maberly is the Health Coach with Active on Health and believes that, “staying healthy is not complicated but you have to give your body the proper nutrition, personal care and exercise that it needs so it can heal disease and rebuild itself from the inside out. Empowered with the right information, you can reduce stress, improve relationships, eliminate cravings, increase energy and lose weight. Just a few simple changes are all it takes for you to live a longer, happier and more productive life”.
"I’m delighted to be supporting Active on Health. Sandy is highly passionate about changing the way people view their health, and I can relate to her approach which encourages people to improve all aspects of their life. I’m pleased to be involved where I can to help Sandy”.
Active on Health and Chris will begin their partnership in 2013.
For more information on Active on Health, please visit www.activeonhealth.com
Training Update - Nov 2012, Barcelona, ESP
Hi guys!
Since the Europa Cup in Vigo, we’ve pretty much immersed ourselves in training. It’s been fantastic to get a solid block of time to actually work on the things I want to change and improve upon.
Let me explain that a little more. The sailing season is a bit like the pro tennis tour – it never really stops. It kicks off with the World Cup in Melbourne, AUS, in December and doesn’t really finish – of course, there will be one or two weeks break in between the bigger competitions, but inevitably if you want to race every weekend, it’s not that hard to do so.
However, one of the draw-backs of a continuous season, is that you never really find time to train or focus on improving a specific area of your sailing. This means that your schedule becomes a fine balance of training and racing time.
So that’s what I’m doing right now – I’m taking a longer period to focus on making the improvements I need, so that come 2013, we see the results when it comes to racing.
Check out our facebook page for the latest photos, videos and updates from training.
Sail hard!
Chris
Home for Xmas - Dec 2012
It's great to be home for the holidays. I've had a fantastic training period over the last few months and i'm really pleased with the progress i've made. It's now time for a (short) rest.
I'd like to thank all of you who have supported and helped me throughout 2012. It's been a great year and I hope 2013 is even better!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
See you in 2013!
Chris
Training Update - Oct 2012, Vigo ESP
Hola a todos!
Right now, i'm in Vigo, on the North Eastern coast of Spain, preparing for the next round of the European Cup which starts on Friday.
We've been here for about a week and its been great to get back into the regular routine of training, following a bit of a disrupted period. The infamous eye-injury in Holland and a touch of illness picked up during travel, forced me to take some extra timeout. It's always a bit of a tricky time to manage small periods, especially unscheduled and forced rest, away from training. Patience is key, and you inevitably have to temper the frustrations of not training, and channel your energies into things which you normally don't have time for. This is the time that you have to rely on the team around you. But It's hugely rewarding when you bounce back as strongly as i have this last week - you realise that you've trained smartly, recovered well, and ultimately, come back stronger.
This is the second year i've made the trip to this regatta, and actually last year i vowed i'd never return...what a difference a year makes. Looking forward to a strong performance this week and it's great to have Ben (Coach Ben Koppelaar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlKBpP64YAU&feature=plcp) here supporting me. Its a good opportunity to practice some of the things we've been working hard on throughout this last period.
Wired Events partner with Chris Russell Sailing
We're delighted to announce that Wired, have agreed to become a leading sponsor of Chris Russell Sailing.
Wired, a boutique experiential and communications agency based in London, will support Chris and his campaign in the single-handed Olympic laser class.
Managing Director Claire Gapper says: “We are delighted to be working with such a passionate and dedicated talent. It is incredibly enjoyable to nurture another individual and brand that can really benefit from our ideas and strategies. Myself and Rob completely understand the difficulties surrounding chasing your dreams, and therefore are able to communicate the right and crucial support that Chris Russell Sailing needs to exceed into the sporting world!”
"I'm delighted to have Wired's support", Chris says. "Claire and Rob are both amazingly passionate and highly committed to the campaign and their expertise are invaluable. Wired are an integrated agency, which means they can assist me with all of my marketing needs, and oversee a holistic campaign which takes account of all aspects of communications and PR".
Over the past few months, Chris has been working behind the scenes with the Wired team, to plan and develop the new Chris Russell Sailing campaign.
"Our focus was to ensure that the campaign was versatile enough to satisfy a broad audience. We inevitably have a lot of information to communicate to different people, in many different formats - having Chris Russell Sailing as a platform helps us do just that, as well as building further brand recognition for myself, sponsors and prospective partners". Ensuring alignment and integration with all of Chris' other sponsors and existing marketing activities was also a priority.
The clean-cut look and feel, and readily-available rich content, inspired the design process, which culminated in the launch of the Chris Russell Sailing website last week.
Chris will race with Wired's branding on his boat and team gear for the remainder of the 2012 season.
Wired's client list is prestigious, having spearheaded campaigns for the likes of DHL, Manchester United, The Carbon Trust and MWB. And their partnership with Chris extends their operations into a new area.
For more information on Wired, please visit www.wired-events.co.uk
For more information on Chris Russell Sailing, please visit www.chrisrussell2012.wix.com/chrisrussellsailing
Free2Network supports Chris Russell Sailing
We're delighted to announce that Free2Network is the very latest business to lend its support to Chris Russell Sailing.
Free2Network, the newest addition to The Medal Club, is a well-established national independent business networking organisation.
With the aim of providing business support and professional networking to its members, this makes Free2Network a perfect fit and a welcome member of The Medal Club.
Nina Sardar, Founder of Free2Network says, "Chris is such a passionate guy, you can’t help but be inspired by Chris’ dedication and determination to succeed in his chosen sport". “I can see the synergy with businesses – you can only succeed with the right support, encouragement, drive and dedication. Chris has the full support of Free2Network and I wish him success in all future races”.
"Nina & Free2Network have been fantastic and hugely supportive not only in helping drive further sponsorship opportunities but raising our brand profile", Chris says “I’m pleased to welcome them to the team and delighted to have their support".
For more information on Free to Network please visit www.free2network.co.uk
Training Update - Aug 2012
I've spent the last few weeks in Medemblik, Holland, totally immersed in training. But with one eye on Weymouth of course! It's been a fantastic period and we've made some huge gains in the areas we wanted to, so i'm delighted with the pace and direction we have right now.
No doubt it's been a period of mixed emotions as well. I've tried to absorb as much as i can and it's been really interesting to watch how things have unfolded at the Games.
Big congrats to Tom, Pavlos and Rasmus; Lijia, Marit and Evi. And of course to all the Team Ireland guys who sailed amazingly, Annalise, James, Matt, Ryan, David, Peter, Ger & Scott. It looked like a really tough period of sailing and the performance all round were world class.
I'm looking forward to the next block of competition coming up, starting with the Irish National Championships at the end of August.
Nieuwpoort Coaching
Following the final event of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Kiel, Germany last week, Chris has taken some much needed and well deserved time off for recovery.
"I was pretty worn-out after Kiel, I was carrying a bit of an illness going into the regatta which i managed to put down for the first couple of days of racing but then it really knocked me for 6 towards the end of the competition. So the past week has simply been about recovery and taking some time away from the boat and the gym to get back to 100%".
This time has also given Chris a chance to step back into a coach-boat. Since his successes last year* Chris' coaching skills have been in demand. "Clearly my number one priority is my own campaign and training - but when I do get some time free-up in the schedule, it's great to get a different perspective of racing. I'm happy to give my time to youth sailors who want to progress and work hard".
Following training sessions in Medemblik, Holland last weekend, Chris will head to Nieuwpoort, Belgium, this week for the Flanders Youth Regatta with a mixed team of sailors across the Radial and 4.7 fleets from Holland and Beligum, including Dutch sailing talent, Benjamin Wempe.
"I remember coming to the SPA Youth Regatta as a kid myself in the optimist and 420 a long time ago", Chris said. "It was a regular feature of our summer racing calendar and i'm looking forward to going back for the first time since then. It's a really challenging stretch of water; very tidal and looking at the forecast we should have some very difficult winds for the guys to contend with, but we're looking for some good performance across the board".
We wish Chris and his sailors the very best of luck for the regatta!
*In 2011, Chris led the Spanish team to victory at the 4.7 World Championships, securing 1st, 2nd, 7th and 11th place overall in the boys fleet and 10th place in the girls fleet. Chris worked with Spanish sailor Kevin Cabrera ahead of his 2nd place at the 4.7 European Championships 2011, and his victory at the Spanish National Championships.
Later in 2011 Chris began working with rising star Benjamin Wempe, and together they won the UK National Championships, and Chris has been there to assist Ben in winning 3 Europa Cup events across 2011/2012. Chris is currently working with Ben and another small group of sailors across both the 4.7 & radial fleets, who have already collected 4 podium places at Europa Cup events this season alone.
Spent a great morning the other day with the team @ Helly Hansen Manchester - always great visiting and as ever Helly Hansen have been fantastic at sorting me out with some new gear! Thanks guys!
ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP 2012:
DELTA LLOYD REGATTA – RACE REPORT
The Delta Lloyd Regatta, or the 6th leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup took place last week in Medemblik, northern Holland. With most of the fleet coming off the back of the world championships, and a starting line-up packed with Olympic medal contenders, the competition was guaranteed to be hot.
The regatta didn't disappoint, with near perfect weather conditions across the 5 days, racing was at a very high standard indeed.
After a slow start on the first day's racing, the pace returned on day 2 and I found myself at the front of the fleet, where I stayed for the majority of day 2 and 3. Some hard battles and tight racing ensued between the top 15 boats and I rose to the occasion.
Live race tracking made an interesting addition to the format, in that it was easy for fans for the first time, to watch racing in real-time via a virtual 2 or 3D web-stream.
Some really bad luck struck on day 4 when I snapped my mast and ripped my sail. This ultimately cost me a fantastic overall finish. However the final scoreboard still represents our best finish to date at an Olympic level event.
Most importantly, this past week shows progression and proves that our training efforts to date are paying off.
Whilst we wish all those who have qualified for 2012 a successful summer, i'm delighted that my own future looks so bright and we've taken these few months to make the changes we need to reach the very top rung of the sport.
The next stop is Kieler Woche (or Kiel week) in Germany in 3 weeks time, where we hope to continue our form.
© Chris Russell Sailing - 2012-2015