ROSS WILLIAMS
When it is cold I find my fins feel a little bit different. They feel slightly stiffer maybe because of the colder water. The chop in Hvide Sande also required a stiffer mast for me in some races. It helps to come to these cold water events early so you can figure out all these minor advantages before the racing. If you just rock up a few days before, where they may not be any wind, then you are just learning as you go. You need to identify which things are not working the same in the colder and choppier conditions. I try to approach every event the same, warm or cold water. My main focus each morning is just to be ready so I am often the first one down to the beach. I like to be well prepared and cover all my bases. I like to have all my rigs ready, go for a sail early to test the conditions and be in my wetsuit changed and all set to race. For my mind space that is what I need to do. I can also be stressed in other ways but by having my gear all set, then I am free to battle those stresses. I try to limit the amount of things that I need to be rushing around doing so I can focus on racing. The racing on the windiest day in Hvide Sande was so much fun. It was awesome. It was slalom as it is supposed to be. The wind was strong all the way round the course. There were no other factors like weed, lifts, headers or tide to cloud the perfect racing conditions.