It has been a complete culture shock since getting home from Miami on Monday.

What with the Worlds in Perth, holiday in Bali and then Key West Week followed by the Miami Regatta, I have only spent one night in my house in Weymouth since 17 November and it was absolutely freezing when we got back! The heating was been on full blast from the minute we walked through the door but it took absolutely ages for it to feel warm!



We definitely seemed to have timed it badly coming back from super warm Florida, where there was a perfect 8-15 knots of sailing breeze every day, just as the weather has turned really cold. But it is ok because I’m off to Tenerife for a week’s training with the Spanish Laser boys next Thursday (9 February), so I’ve not got to freeze for too long!



Winning the Miami Regatta was a great start to the Olympic year for me. Although the Worlds were always intended to be a process regatta, to have been in second all week and then mess it up on the last day to finish fifth was very frustrating.



I wasn’t originally going to do Miami but I was in Florida for Key West Week, and there were a few things we had identified to work on after the Worlds that heading up to the Miami Regatta from Key West ended up making sense. I only had a few hours’ training before the event started and felt a bit rusty because I hadn’t been in a Laser since the Worlds but it felt really good to be back in the boat again.



Although there were specific things I was focussing on during the regatta, especially around gaining increased consistency and confidence in some of my starts, it was important that I stamped my authority back down in the Laser and actually won an event. I sailed really well in qualifying and then it was about consolidating the lead after that. The Brazilian, Bruno Fontes, came back strongly however, and we ended up tied on points going into the medal race so it was very pleasing to gain control of the medal race early on and build from there.



Key West Week proved to be a really worthwhile event for heaps of reasons. Not only did we win the Farr 400 class but with it being a new boat to me and the rest of the guys, it was super nice to have a new challenge while still practice the tactical elements out of a Laser environment. I only have three more Laser events on the calendar before the Olympics – Palma, the Worlds and Sail for Gold – and as the Olympics gets closer so the events become less and less about processes and more about results so it was great to get some good race practice in.



After I get back from Tenerife, the 2012 selected British team sailors are going to the Olympic Park Velodrome in London for two days for the Olympic Cycling Test Event, which will be pretty cool. I’ve not seen any of the other Olympic venues outside of Weymouth yet, and I know a few of the cyclists from having won gold at Beijing 2008, so it will be really interesting to see them race and just being there will be pretty inspiration and exciting.



Tomorrow I will be unloading the container from Perth, which Colin Murray is joining me for. He assures me he will be helping out while interviewing! I’m having a fitness test and a few sports science meetings.



After the gym this morning a new Orange mountain bike arrived. A super cool prototype that has been loaned to me, I had a fun ride this afternoon and the wind, mud and rain didn’t stop me from grinning most of the ride. I may need to order some warmer cycling kit though!

Happy new year! I hope that you have all had time to enjoy the festive period.
After the last few months its quite a shock to return to the cold but nice to spend a night in my own bed!

The training in Perth was good and the focus around technique change seemed to have brought some positive changes and I feel I have made progress here. The Worlds was not a key event but after sitting in second all week I was very frustrated to slip out of the medals on the last day of finals after a poor performance with my mind else where, mainly on planning for the games rather than the job in hand.

Going in to the medal race there was still a good chance of Silver with the points quite tight. After a good start at the starboard end I sailed towards the wall packed with spectators. After bouncing around off the wall tacking and ducking in the disrupted water, the boats that had tacked and ducked early headed right to make big gains. After rounding towards the back I pulled back through to finish 5th which was only good enough for 5th overall a bit of a disappointment.

After the Worlds in Perth I headed to Bali with friends for a surfing trip over Christmas on the way home. It was a great away to chill and rest up ready for the hard miles ahead.

It has been quite a year to look back on with several highs and a few lows. The main aim of the year was to secure selection for the 2012 Olympics which was going to be a tough job. Medaling in the Olympic venue at Sail for Gold and then the Test Event was enough to secure selection, and a step towards 2012. The other highlights include winning at the Princess sofia regatta and medaling in Miami.

I am super excited about 2012 and with the opportunity to work with a new coach over the next few months I feel super motivated with the Olympics closer than you realise There is still plenty of work to do but with the fresh ideas of a new coach and the help of one of the best training partners in the world in Nick Thompson I feel my program will be good enough to deliver in August.

I have had to make a few changes to my program. I am pretty disappointed that I am not heading to the sun and gorgeous sailing conditions of the Dominican Republic tomorrow, instead I fly to the Alps for boot camp on cross country skis! not the nicest way to start the new year but its what is needed and Im sure some bits will be fun.

Thanks to everybody for your ongoing support and I hope you can share and enjoy the journey to 2012 with me.