ANTOINE ALBEAU
The best is to go to a training camp in the winter. There is one in Tarifa, Lanzarote and one in Tenerife. In Maui we also train as well. If you have the money and you can travel to these camps, they are all very worthwhile. These will improve your starts and you will learn with the best in the world. Otherwise you can train with some friends. You just take two buoys. Or in many places there are marks or objects in the water you can use. All you need is your watch and practice the timing. When you start you go inside the course for one minute and then you gybe. What I normally do is check my time at the boat on two minutes. I go one minute behind the start and then gybe again. Then I am ready to prepare the real start. That is what all riders do normally. If you are too early you have to slow down obviously. The problem is when the wind is light you don’t want to stop on the line or you could be left standing. Everybody these days is pushing hard and sometimes we arrive three seconds early for a light wind race and you have to stop. It can ruin everything. I try not to be in the pack, as you never know what can happen. I know I can start anywhere on the line. I have the experience to start wherever I want. I try to avoid the other riders. I am a conservative starter. It is better to arrive six or seventh at the first mark rather than be over early. I will push it where I need to. In Fuerteventura I know I am fast so I can start more relaxed. In the old days I knew I had a lot more speed than the other riders but this does not exist anymore.
“ I try not to be in the pack, as you never know what can happen. ”
