Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth Interview
by Mark Jardine 15 Jun 2016 13:00 BST
15 June 2016
Charlotte Dobson & Sophie Ainsworth on day 4 of the Aquece Rio – International Sailing Regatta © Ocean Images / British Sailing Team
We spoke to British Sailing Team 49erFX duo Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth who have been selected to represent Great Britain at Rio 2016
Mark Jardine: March the 8th was a big day for you with the announcement that you had been selected to represent Great Britain at Rio 2016. Can you describe your feelings when the announcement was made?
Charlotte Dobson: Well, for me it's been a really long journey - I did two cycles in the Laser Radial, and was second twice, so for me it was twice the bridesmaid, this time the bride, and so it was a huge moment. I think a huge sense of relief, and also you know, a huge sense of excitement about what we're going to be able to do and what I believe our team can achieve this summer. So yes, I guess it was just that actually: huge relief, and then huge excitement.
Mark: And Sophie?
Sophie Ainsworth: I think it was a slightly surreal experience because we were actually loading our boat up for Palma for training in the hail when we got this really exciting news, so it's slightly surreal, really exciting, and a bit of a relief that we had the support of being selected.
Mark: Your fifth in the Worlds in Argentina must have been a huge moment where you realized going towards Rio that you're building up massively well. What was the feeling when you got that result?
Charlotte: Well, that was a real turning point I think for our campaign. We had six months prior to that where we hadn't had a coach, and then around a month before that event, Mark (Asquith) came back to coach us and so we were super excited to have him back, and it felt like the wheels were back on our campaign again. It was the first real event that we went into the last day with a realistic and fighting chance of winning the event. And then it was just a really, really good step forward, a step in the right direction, and it makes you believe that you're going to be able to do what you need to do and so yes, it was a really, really good event from that perspective.
Mark: And Sophie, as Charlotte just said, this is an event where you went into the final day where you could've won, so was it first of all fifth is a fantastic result, but also just a touch of disappointment that you could've ended up in the medals?
Sophie: Definitely, we went into that medal race with the plan of attacking it and coming away with a medal, so obviously we were disappointed not to, but with time to reflect, like Charlotte said, it was a good step forward for us.
Mark: Could you describe your day now that it is just pure build up to Rio, what is your training program?
Charlotte: For the last couple of weeks we've been in Warsash trying to recreate Rio on the Solent with the tide and the wind from all over the place and the water. So we meet early, ten-ish in the morning, and then go out for a couple of hours, doing either boat handling or starting specifically is what we're doing at the moment, just trying to maximize that opportunity and to get with the tide. Then we'll come in, do a bit of debrief, we're using video or comms kit, or GPS or whatever technology we're using that day. And then we'll pop to the gym; whether that is circuits in the garden outside or we'll go do a weights session. Then, to be honest, at the end of that we're pretty exhausted, so then we'll come home, try and cook dinner. Soph's got some wicked protein pancake recipes that she's been cooking recently.
Sophie: Charlotte's got the recipe book.
Charlotte: Soph's much better at baking than I am, so she makes the protein pancakes.
Mark: Protein pancakes, sounds glorious...
Charlotte: They're fantastic. And then to be honest, we're exhausted so we're just waiting for an acceptable time to go to bed. If we manage to make it to nine o'clock, we're pretty happy.
Mark: How do you find the teamwork aspect on the boat? Charlotte, who's strong at what aspects on the boat?
Charlotte: I think Soph and I are really lucky in that our strengths, well maybe my strengths are Soph's weaknesses, and Soph's strengths are my weaknesses. And Soph's really fantastic at all the starting side of stuff, and all the time on distance, and calling transits - that's where she's really, really strong. Then I think my role is probably more the decision-making, trying to get us upwind in the best shape possible. But it's quite a good combo because I think I'm pretty happy to leave Soph to the start, and I'll just do what she says; she's really, really good at that.
Mark: You've been working with Allen Brothers now since 2014, and now you are members of Team Allen. What do you like about the Allen gear?
Charlotte: I really, really like the fact that we are able to talk to the designers about what specifically we need, and then they come up with some really good solutions for us that does the job really well. Their high load block is something that is really good that we use for our jib system, which really helps me out, takes a lot of the load off it. And then having the full ball-bearing and jib swivel is another fitting that actually makes a huge difference, especially on the starting side, Soph can uncleat the jib and adjust it, from right in the front of the boat or right in the back of the boat really, really easily. They have been big game changers really for us.
Mark: So Sophie, this sounds like equipment that can make a huge difference to the front end of the boat. How have you done this feedback process with Allen?
Sophie: We've done it with the 49er boys, Dylan (Fletcher) and Alain (Sign) and fed back what works, or what we're struggling with, and then Allen developed it.
Mark: Dylan I know loves those 30mm high-load blocks on his International Moth with the crazy loads on their kicker systems.
Sophie: Yes, they're really great actually. They're brilliant for the jib system, they sit quite low and it just makes it that bit easier to adjust when it's really, really loaded in the breeze going upwind.
Mark: Do you use it on the kite halyard as well?
Sophie: At the moment, we use a 40mm block on the kite halyard, not the high load one. We used to use the high load one, but they're a little bit heavy - our boat has been going under a bit of a weight loss programme before Rio, so we swapped and with a bigger block the kite flies up.
Mark: What are your hopes for Rio 2016?
Charlotte: Our hopes are to bring home a gold medal of course! I think the FX is a really exciting class to watch, I would have thought the form book wouldn't really be able to call it until the final day probably, and I think in the last four regattas it's been really tight. In the two Worlds there have been six different medallists, and I think for everyone different parts of their campaigns are clicking and coming together at different times so it's all just been this big learning curve in the new class. I think we completely believe that we're in it to win it, and I guess that's our big hope and dream for Rio.
Mark: And Sophie, what are your thoughts?
Sophie: Well, exactly that - we're in it to win it. We feel we're ready to medal and we're ready to be on the top of the podium. It's ultimately getting it together at the Olympics and like Charlotte said, everybody's got different strengths and weaknesses throughout the class, and actually we really enjoy racing in Rio.
Mark: Of course, there's been quite a bit of negative press around Rio with the sewage and Zika. How are you and the British team preparing for the conditions that you'll meet there?
Charlotte: We're just taking precautions with vitamins and making our bodies as healthy as we possibly can before we get out there, and I think just generally being reasonably sensible, and, to be honest, it's just a little bit of common sense and I think too, with keeping everything clean and sterile, and just trying pretty hard not to make it into some enormous big deal. Once you get all of the precautions into your routine it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Then we're ready to just go and race and then hopefully just ignore that whole side.
Mark: That's pretty pragmatic. Now Charlotte, what do you do outside of sailing to relax?
Charlotte: Well I like climbing, I do a little bit of Moth sailing, but I do a bit of Moth watching with Dylan. And to be honest, we're pretty boring in our free time the last couple of months. We try to just be careful not to break ourselves before going to the Games.
Mark: And Sophie, what do you do outside of sailing?
Sophie: I really enjoy kite surfing, so I do that as much as I can, but I tend to do that when I've got someone around that can look after me in case it all goes wrong. Baking, and like Charlotte said, we just started going climbing.
Mark: So sports which you couldn't possibly have any injuries in the run up to Rio?!
Sophie: No exactly... injury free!
Mark: Charlotte, you're an Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust Ambassador, what does that role entail?
Charlotte: Well, I have gone out sailing on one of their big boats to do the Round the Island Race last year with some of the kids, which was really, really fun and it's amazing to watch some really timid kids at the beginning and then, four or five hours later, suddenly they're taking control of a 50 foot yacht, so that's pretty incredible to watch. I've also done a couple other corporate days with them and with their supporting partners in Largs, and another one in Cowes. It's a fantastic trust and I really like what they're about, giving young people a bit of confidence through sailing.
Mark: Charlotte, Sophie, thank you for your time and the best of luck in the build-up to Rio and of course in the main event itself. It's been great talking to you both.
Charlotte & Sophie: Thanks!