21-04-2006

Chasing the top places - despite the injured skipper!

”We have long looked forward to this World Championship, where, in the first rounds, we are working to get through the decisive duels and after that the goal is to sail to the top position.” Explains skipper Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, who has been Match Racing since 1992.
Bravery and ambition are decidedly not missing here, particularly as Lotte has had to take a short break in training because she injured her knee during a recent skiing holiday.
”It was very bad timing but luckily it was only necessary to take a short break from training. Of course the timing was not optimal and I will, after all that’s happened, be sailing with a brace during the competition. ” says Lotte.

The chemistry is decisive.

”I have sailed with many good crews, but the girls in the team right now are definitely the best. We have very good chemistry and things are working just perfectly in the boat. It is very important that the whole of the crew have the same chemistry and the same ambitions, otherwise the whole thing can go wrong. However, it is obviously sometimes necessary to make compromises.
It is not always easy to accommodate the many training days and travel alongside work and family, therefore it is also difficult to keep the same crew together for a long period of time.” explains Lotte, whose crew handle intense situations particularly well.
”We have a fantastic atmosphere on board, however we are slightly missing a tactical overview and so that is what we will focus on from now up to the Championship.”

Lotte began Match racing in 1992 following a stay at Oure Sports College. After this came education as an engineer and the sailing career continued, based at the Match Race Center in Skovshoved Harbour. Here could daily competition take place against some of the world’s best sailors.

Rockets to the top

In 1998 the World Champion skipper took part in her first international meeting, and it really was something of a debut for her. For amazingly she won the competition at Sundsvall.
”Yes, that result gave me the confidence to work at it even harder. The whole thing went so quickly, but it was really fun. From that point we began to take part in events around the world. During that time we had tremendous support from Skovshoved Sejlklub (sailing club), and for that I am very grateful,” says the Danish World Champion, who originally comes from Egå. Now the support comes from the team’s sponsor HSH Nordbank.

During the following years Lotte worked herself up the World Ranking list, where, in the summer of 2004, she was rated the best Women’s Match Racer in the world. Through the years she has also collected the European and Nordic titles as well as additional bronze and silver medals at the World Championships.

”Are home waters in Skovshoved an advantage for the Danish sailors?”
”It is difficult to say, after all many of our competitors have sailed here many times. So a really big advantage it certainly isn’t. However we do have the advantage that we train as often as we can in the boats we shall use in the competition. Many of the (other) events use boats for a crew of four and most of the competitors at the Worlds will also train in typical 4-crew boats,” considers Lotte, as she hopes that more girls can be encouraged to try Match Racing.
And she doesn’t only settle just for the sailing. Last year Lotte joined the ISAF’s Match Racing Committee, where, once a year they meet to develop new ideas.
But right now everything is focused on the World Championships in Skovshoved.