READ IT ON PAGE 6/7 BEIJING 2008 | EXPECTATIONS FROM THE EXPERTS 470 ETIMES ISSUE: JULY 2008 GIULIA CONTI: “SOFIA BEKATOROU AND EMILIA TSOULFA WWW.470.ORG WERE GODDESSES“ 470 ETIMES The eTimes is the official ezine of 470 Internationale. All rights reserved © DISTRIBUTION - National Class Associations - Sailing Federations - 470 sailors & spectators - (Sailing) Sport Media The 470 eTimes is distributed through 470 Internationale‘s emailing list, and through the ETIMES INDEX CONTI AND MICOL MAKE A FLASH START IN THE 470 CLASS official 470 Class web site: www.470.org INTERVIEW GIU LIA CO NTI AND ENTER THE OLYMPICS WITH POTENTIAL FOR MEDALS ñ INTERVIEW ALBERTO PREDIERI G.I. GIULIA PHOTOGRAPHY ñ BEIJING 2008 —As long as I don‘t win, I‘m not happy“ With many thanks to: ñ SAILO RS’ SU PPO RT PRO GRAMMES The Olympics of Athens 2004 feel like a wasted opportunity to Giulia. - David Bell - Delta Lloyd Regatta ñ CALENDAR / PREVIEW After the Games, she receives a call from Giovanna Micol. They team up, ñ RACE REVIEWS join the Navy and put every effort into the dream for Gold at the Beijing Olympics of 2008. ñ 470 ATH LETES :: PAGE 2/3 EDITORIAL: If you have any publications, articles or information for the 470 470 ATHLETES Beijing 2008 eTimes, please contact [email protected] Top players in the international EXPECTATIONS FROM THE EXPERTS 470 class. Why do they race and Winners and creators of Olympic Medals talk about ADVERTISEMENTS what makes them go for more? their experiences, and their expectations for the com- For advertisements, or information Maybe you can learn something ing Olympic Sailing Regatta. about advertisements, please from them for your own racing! contact: [email protected] :: PAGE 6/7 In this issue an interview with NEXT ISSUE: Graham Biehl and Natalia Dufresne INTERVIEW WITH THE 470 CLASS PRESIDENT OCTOBER 2008 “ fostering the growth and stabilization of the Class in Editorial deadline: 20 September 2008 at least 55 and for the men‘s and 45 countries for the women‘s“ Production: :: PAGE 4 :: PAGE 11/12 Sailing1st.com Productions PAGE 1 Golden Dreams, adrenaline and three 470 Class World Titles……. GIULIA CONTI (ITA) —As long as I don‘t win, I‘m not happy.“ G.I. GIULIA —I never saw a wild thing feeling sorry for itself. A bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.“ BY RICK VAN WIJNGAARDEN D.H. Lawrence - from the movie : G.I. Jane Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol from Italy make a flash start in the Women‘s 470 and call high expectations over them for the Olympic Sailing Regatta taking place next month. Conti is a successful match race and Yngling sailor, and competed in the Yngling Class at the Athens 2004 Olympics. She sees her Athens 2004 campaign as a wasted opportunity because of the confusement that caught her not being prepared for the high pressure at the Grand Final of an Olympic Quadrennium. After the Games of 2004, she gets a call from Giovanna. They team up, hire a sports psychologist, join the Navy and put every effort into their campaign for Beijing 2008. Giulia Conti tells her story: —Looking back at the Olympic Sailing Regatta of —I did not have any clue of Athens 2004, I had no idea what I was doing, what participating in an meaning I did not have any clue of what partici- Olympic Sailing Regatta pating in an Olympic Sailing Regatta would do with you. Me, and my team mates had different would do with you….“ moods and spirits. I did not feel okay at all. I wasted an opportunity.“ she said. THE ROMAN MARCH —In October after the Olympics, Giovanna called me, asking me if I wanted In the summer of 2006, Giulia and Giovanna make progress, experience to sail 470‘s with her. My mind was empty at that time, but I agreed with- the results of hard work, and make it to the medal race at the 470 out thinking about it for a second. On the 28th of December, we got onto Worlds in Rizhao, to end the Championship in 7th place. Lake Garda for our first try-out in a cold winter 25 knots breeze. We capsized, ripped our jib, lost the spinnaker pole and had all odds against In December 2006, they win the Imperia Regatta in Italy, move on to us. It seemed we had fun though because when we came from the win the Christmas Race in Palamos, Olympic Garda in early 2007, and hit freezing water, we both were enthusiastic and confident to set up a cam- their first win in a Grade 1 event at the Semaine Olympique in Hyères. paign onto Beijing 2008.“ At the Europeans that follow in Thessaloniki they put the pressure on reigning European Champions Stefanie ROTHWEILER and Vivian THE START OF THE CAMPAIGN KUSSATZ to finally win their first medal in an International 470 Class —The Princess Sofia Trophy in 2005 was the first event we participated in. Championship with a second place. Our results were far from hopeful, which did not many good for people believing in us. When you start, you know that you have to pick a ticket In the heavy conditions at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in and step back in line. We believed in ourselves and continued. Cascais they cannot keep up with the 470 Class leaders and end the Championship in 6th place. After the Worlds in 2007 there is a period of To achieve your goals, and to even start thinking about having a chance rest in the serie of Olympic sailing events, and Giulia travels to for Olympic Gold, you need support. That‘s financially, mentally, St. Petersburg in the USA to compete in the Rolex Osprey Cup, a famous technically and training. women‘s match race event, to take home another medal just as she is used to every year. In the first place I didn‘t want the situation on the way to Athens 2004 to repeat itself. We got a sports psychologist to support us, especially how to In 2008, Giulia and Giovanna show high consistency taking top spots at handle the pressure at major events. Still the financial, training and knowl- Olympic sailing events. In January they start with a third place at Grade edge of 470 sailing remained as major issues. In January 2006 we joined 1 event Sail Melbourne, and finalize the 470 Worlds held at the same the Italian Navy to have a chance to get into a military sports program venue with a silver medal. allowing us to train in the 470 beside our military duties, and have the Their names show high on top at every event that follows, and they win basic costs of living provided for. the Grade 1 Delta Lloyd Regatta before they head for China to set up SAILING FOR ONE WEEK, NAVY TRAINING THE OTHER WEEK their training camp at the Olympic venue. It was a very hard and exhausting period. We had to travel to Taranto in the south of Italy for army duties; marching, training and camping in the field for a week, and than get to Genoa to train in the 470 during the other week. This process repeated week after week and for months. You always are away from home and there if no time to rest. At the times we trained in Genoa, every support for train- —It made me angry and I ing we hoped for was not here. We were totally on our decided to do whatever it own. We were not recognized as a team with potential for would take to show we medals. It made me angry and I decided to do whatever it were worth it.“ would take to show we were worth it.“ CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >> PAGE 2 PREVIEW ON THE 470 WORLDS 2007 GIULIA CONTI (ITA) CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE << —If you want to reach success in sports, you have to go deep and suffer. — Giulia Conti: PASSIONATE! —Sofia Bekatorou and Emilia Tsoulfa were Goddesses“ While talking to Giulia, it‘s obvious that she is a woman who has set her mind to finish what she has started, driven REACHING PODIUM PLACES IN SHORT TIME by winning and using her experiences Not many sailors had such a flash start in the 470‘s, putting pressure on efficiently. She admires others who do experienced top players in the 470 class and reaching podium places after the same. Passionate! Her way of such a short period. Best examples of such who managed to do so, are talking is charming. She says what‘s on Sofia BEKATOROU and Emilia TSOULFA from Greece. They needed only her mind, positive or negative, and about two years before they started ruling the Women‘s 470. always ends with a laugh. —Ohh, but no. We cannot be compared with them“ says Giulia. —Sofia and Although the Women‘s 470 fleet is Emilia were Goddesses. They claimed almost every major event to their large and strongly represented by names, and finally Olympic Gold in 2004. Not to speak of receiving the sailors from many nations, let‘s ask ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award for two times. We are far from that!“ Giulia about her vision why fewer —I cannot really give a feasible reason what our strength is. We work hard, women than men participate, in any but everyone does that. Giovanna and I are on the same level of what we way at an International Championship.