SARAH-QUITA OFFRINGA
Cold events take more mental effort than the warmer places to get through the event. For me personally it works like that. Because I have to race I don’t really think about the cold anymore. On the stormy day I jumped into the coldest wetsuit but barely noticed it because of the adrenaline. I am cold sometimes during the heats but in the end it is mind over matter. I am from Aruba but I have spent a few winters in Holland and am used to wetsuits. The barrier is a little higher to get in the water but after ten minutes I am fine. My equipment does not change. I just make sure I get it right. The hard thing when it is cold is to tune your gear. Your fingers don’t work as well and any little changes you make are a bit harder. The stormy winds are not my favourite conditions. From past experience I know I am not the greatest in strong winds. Also not when it is that choppy. I was battling to get round the course on the first race. I was trying to survive. Honestly for me I felt I won the day for my standard even though Delphine won the two windiest races. Delphine and Lena Erdil are both very good in those conditions. In the last race I was kind of comfortable.