Tenerife PWA World Cup
With Tenerife going flat on day four of the 2019 Tenerife PWA World Cup the Pro’s were given a lay day, while the Youth’s remained on hold throughout the day, but with the swell showing no signs of returning they were eventually released at 4:30pm (GMT+1).
Earlier in the day we caught up with current World No.2 Justyna Sniady (Simmer / Simmer Sails / AL36) for an interview which you can read below:
PWA: You earned your first ever podium in Pozo last month after coming quite close over the last couple of years…
JS: “Yeah, actually it happened to me twice now that I was in the battle for a third place and then the wind ran out. Two years ago in Pozo I made a come back through the whole double - I can remember that I had just come in from a heat against Sarah-Quita [Offringa] and then we stopped immediately. And then last year here I had a heat to defend my fourth place and then we stopped again. So it's happened twice already, it’s been a long battle.”
PWA: How did it feel to finally get that podium? You had a couple of big victories against Sarah-Quita and Iballa Moreno to get there…
JS: “Amazing. Unbelievable. I think it's not that I got the podium, but it's how it happened. You know? Because it wasn't an easy route to make the top 3. And you know, I was talking to the guys, like to get to two finals in Pozo in the single and double also, I don't know if that many people have done that [Besides Daida and Iballa]. So, I wouldn't exchange that for like a third place three years ago, if you know what I mean. Because it was how it happened, rather than that it happened, that it was so amazing. I still wake up in the morning and I go… arghhhh is it a dream?
PWA: Over the winter, or spring, you also did a camp with Marcilio Browne and Levi Siver, do you think that helped? And how much of an impact do you think that had?
JS: “I think every little bit helps. And you never know, like some of the tips that I have heard in the past, that are similar to what I've heard before, start to make more sense because It's the timing of them as well.
I also think that hanging out with people, who know what they're doing, and then having them believing in you, showing you what you're good at, but also highlighting the things that you need to work on, while giving you the confidence that you're good enough is extremely important and that was probably the biggest thing for me and I think that's what they gave me.
Also I've been training a lot with Jorge [Philip Köster’s caddy], but more for actually sailing heats and working out a strategy and stuff makes a big different. I also sailed with Philip a lot in Australia this year, but I think it was more the mental training that I got from all these guys rather than the technical side because technically, I knew what I had to do already."
PWA: Having had those victories in Pozo now do you think that that's changed your mindset?
JS: “Yeah, I think my perspective has changed but it’s been kind of weird. In one way, I feel less pressure because I was like, wow, I finally did something good. So now I’m like, okay I can relax, but on the other hand, I'm like, well, now I'm in it to win it, so it's more pressure than before. So for sure it's changed.“
PWA: Okay, so to build on that, because you're in a position to win it now, how is it playing the waiting game in Tenerife this week?
JS: “You know, I'm really bad at doing nothing anyway at the best of times, so it's definitely playing on my mind, but to be to be fair even when I was losing, and coming outside the top 10, I was always stressed, so I would say that my current stress levels are about the same as that in my current situation. It's only when I hit the water that I'm much calmer than I used to be. I'm really calm and collected once I’m out there, but before I go on the water, ask anyone and you’ll find out that I’ve checked the forecast 70 times and I have everything rigged right now from 3.7-5.0m and that’s for Thursday [today] when there was no forecast. So I am definitely anxious, but that's just how I am, I think.”
Thanks, Justyna. Good luck for the rest of the event.
The forecast for Friday is marginally better than today, but with the waves expected to remain small tomorrow could well prove to be another lay day for the Pro’s, while there is a slim chance of some Youth action! The skippers’ meeting has been called for 12pm.
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