In January each year, SA Sailing selected a squad of talented sailors from the previous season’s national championship results and from recommendations received from national class representatives and high performance coaches in the following classes for the SAS High Performance Development Squad:

• Laser Radial

• Laser Full rig

• Finn

• 420 / 470

• 29er / 49er

• J22 keelboat match racing

Through funds received from the Department of Sports and Recreation (SRSA), SAS hosts two to three training camps for this squad during that year (usually February and June, and when there is an ISAF event later in the year, a third camp will be hosted just before the team goes to this event). These training camps include sports science intervention in terms of fitness assessments, psychological assessments, workshops on sport related topics such as nutrition, fitness programmes and monitoring, and on-the-water training with top South African or international coaches specific for the relevant classes. At present, SAS is working closely with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) based in Newlands, Cape Town for all sports science, psychology and medical input for sailing in this country.

With four major ISAF world events taking place in 2011, there are four camps this year:

• 26-29 February – SSISA and Theewaterskloof Sports Club (TSC)

• 15-17 April – SSISA and RCYC, Cape Town (ladies keelboat match-racing only)

• 17-19 June – SSISA and Langebaan (dinghies and cats only)

• 28-31 October – SSISA and Simonstown

These camps are for the sailor on the 2011 SAS High Performance Development Squad, but other top sailors in the respective classes may apply to join the on-the-water training at their own expense through Belinda Hayward, National High Performance Manager, on belinda.hayward@vodamail.co.za.

If any sailors would like sports science input, please contact Bronwen Michels at SSISA directly on Tel 021 659 5659  Fax 086 560 2213 Email: bmichels@ssisa.com
We thank SRSA for making this training and sport science input available to South African sailors.