March 6, 2025 • 34 mins
Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot are Harding Wilmot Sailing. They are one of the worlds fastest sailing teams currently campaigning the 49erFX sailboat which sees both of the on trapeze controlling one of the fastest sailing dinghies on the planet.
In 2024 they had a break out year with a Top 6 in the World Championships winning a number of Australian events and then being part of the first America's Cup competition for women representing Australia.
Sailing an America's Cup yacht which is a unique yacht that sails on foils lifting its hull clear of the water and races across the top of the water at the speed of a car but with the stability of a unicycle.
Their ability to be agile, pivot and adapt to changing conditions, new boats , new team members at the elite level is something everyone can learn something about.
Laura and Annie are now campaigning toward the LA Olympics and we talk about the planning for this event which is 3 plus years away and what it takes to win at the top.
I hope you enjoy this fun podcast with two of Australia's elite sailors as much as I did.
You can find out more here
Instagram @hardingwilmotsailing
LinkedIn @hardingwilmotsailing
In 2024 they had a break out year with a Top 6 in the World Championships winning a number of Australian events and then being part of the first America's Cup competition for women representing Australia.
Sailing an America's Cup yacht which is a unique yacht that sails on foils lifting its hull clear of the water and races across the top of the water at the speed of a car but with the stability of a unicycle.
Their ability to be agile, pivot and adapt to changing conditions, new boats , new team members at the elite level is something everyone can learn something about.
Laura and Annie are now campaigning toward the LA Olympics and we talk about the planning for this event which is 3 plus years away and what it takes to win at the top.
I hope you enjoy this fun podcast with two of Australia's elite sailors as much as I did.
You can find out more here
Instagram @hardingwilmotsailing
LinkedIn @hardingwilmotsailing
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The most successful people in the world all have one
thing in common. They've learned how to think big by
developing a perspective of possibility. And the good news is
we all have the potential to apply the same strategies
to achieve amazing things in our work and lives. Hi,
I'm Rob Hartnett, and as your chief Possibility Officer and host,
(00:27):
I'm here to inspire you to become the star of
your world as a person of possibility through learning how
people from all areas of life are thinking big and
chasing down their dreams. I have some special guests today,
very excited, very excited today to have the team of
Harding Wilmot sailing along today. Anny Willmot, Laura Harding, Welcome
(00:49):
to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thanks for having us again. Great to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Well, you know, I was thinking about you guys, and
what an amazing twenty twenty four for you guys. Have
fifth in the twenty twenty four World, in the forty
nine er FX six in the twenty twenty four Euros.
But most importantly, seriously, let's celebrate the fact that you're
a return guest on my podcast. That's where it's all at, right, Okay,
it's a very small, unique group. Not many have made
(01:14):
this back, so good news is, ladies and gentlemen. If
you want to get more background on the girls, we
did a podcast last year about this time last year
in fact, and it was a lot of fun and
they passed the audition. So you're back back again. And
can I also say, not wanting to take any glory here,
but honestly, just after the podcast with me came out,
(01:37):
you guys started sailing faster. I'm sure I literally looked
at the trajectory. Now. It hasn't improved my sailing it,
but certainly improved yours. So but look, a great note,
brilliant work in twenty twenty four. You must have been
very pleased with how you went. But look, I want
to just recap a little bit. Get to know you
two a little better as humanoids because you are elite athloids,
(01:59):
but you are still fleets, but you still are real people.
So all right, Laura, let's start with you first. Where
are you're from? Where's your principal city where you're based?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Based in Victoria?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Holmes, Blake, Garry, I don't really see Melbourne because I'm
not a city person.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, each yeah, I love it. All right, what music
are you listening to?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Oh? I love folk and a little bit of country sometimes,
but also just the hot hits of the week as well.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
All right, big tip. Have you heard of Noline Hoffman? No, okay,
I need to listen to her. You'll love her. She's
about God. I think she's only twenty three. Nolene Hoffman.
She's from Canada and she's just hit the high road
because she's just done a duet with Zach Bryant, who
recorded one of her songs. Zach found Zach. But Nolan Hoffman,
(02:51):
one of my boys, actually turned me on the Nolan Hoffman.
And if you've just said that you'll love her stuff?
All right, most recent concert you've attended?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I mean I had tickets to go to Noah Khan,
but I didn't get to go, so I would say
that I got to go.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Now I can't. We've been good. Yeah. You use to
use a can when you're when you're doing workouts in
the gym.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It's mostly actually the pre pre racing playlist.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Oh really, I like the one yet, What's you got?
Is it britten in Britain?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Out?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
That's why I use that word now. A Khan fan,
he actually records. You need to be a little bit
mentally disturbed, Like, Noah, can't. I got that on my Spotify,
the little thing he said.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
If you're not if you're not dysfunctional and got really
bad family problems or bigger issues, you probably shouldn't be
listening to me. I don't know how you got on
to me.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Music.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Can I just listen to the music?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Man?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
That gets so deep? And now you sell all around
the world. So what's your favorite sailing venue apart from
Blake Area? Obviously it's where.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Else favorite sailing venue? I mean, Garda was pretty cool.
We got to do that in an RS twenty one
and that was yeah, pretty iconic.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, on the cliffs and.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Yeah it does look epic, it is. It is on
definitely a list I want to get to very soon. Okay, Annie,
what city are you from?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Sydney? But it's Northern Beaches.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah, I like that. I was waiting for the butt,
yeah the But okay, what are you listening to?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I also am a country fan, but I've been listening
to a lot of Gracie Abrams.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Oh yeah, so have I Yeah, yeah, a lot of
Gracy Abrams. Of course you know who for her father
is No, that's J. J. Abrams, the film director.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Of course it is.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. But you know, all kudos to her
because it would have been harder to get the gig
racy Abrams. So yeah, she spent. She's really really great.
We like her too. Most recent concert.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Hosier a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, that's just dedication to sailing.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
He's fantastic though, if you ever have the chance to.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Go see him, Yeah, yeah, insane, unbelievable and favorite sailing
media for you. I'd also say Garter, but I think
I think Palmer's pretty iconic.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Can't really go past Parma. We go there every year.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, yeah, it's a good one. Look forward to it.
Mut to do. There's probably great regretted as you guys
look forward to as you plan out you know, the circuit. Yeah, fantastic.
Or I got to take you back a little bit
now because and it was a great quote you made,
and it was just before you started getting back into
training again. You made this comment. You said, I'm just
going to read the quote or get as close as
I can, but something like I'm looking forward to sailing again.
(05:49):
I'm looking for the pulling ropes and not pushing buttons.
Tell us a little bit about what you meant by that.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, definitely not the pushing mental buttons, but you know
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I guess on the America's Cup boat, everything is
battery powered, and I was the trimmer on the boat.
So I had this little button panel and it had
about eight buttons. I knew exactly where each one was
and what they did, and you know, how they operated
and how I could use them. And it was pretty
(06:24):
funny that you don't have to be that fit to
push a button.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
That's the joke.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We all were sailing the Cup. Yeah, and then now
it's it's back to pulling ropes. The hands are saw
the hands saw the first week of sailing.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, both we're like, oh gosh, we're not used to this.
Out of the boat, not not pulling ropes.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Well, yeah, but I guess you can have a career
after sounding could be an it director. Were you just
sitting down there and watching start that fit? Now, let's
talk a little bit about this though, because what you
did was pretty spectacular, So you just dropped in the
fact that you were doing the America. Tell us about that,
DIC because you guys involved in the Women's America's Cup.
(07:07):
What was so special about that and how did you
get involved?
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I think the Women's America's Cup it was super special
because it was the first time that females had their
own competition, so it was females against females, and there
were six boats on the start line, but twelve boats
all up, so we had so many great females in
the sport, all competing for one trophy for the first time.
(07:36):
And you know, we had Olympic medalists, we had Volvo
ocean races.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
All competing for the same thing, and it was it
was just super special.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
The environment that we had on the on land, like
around the dock was it was just I forget the word,
but it just it felt so special. Like everyone everyone
was happy to be there. They knew how important it was,
but it was more just super exciting to be able
to give to have been given the opportunity to be there,
(08:10):
I think was the main thing.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I love how the fact that I think you was
really important to remain present because it was special, and
I kind of think it's twenty twenty four we finally
got round to it, Like I mean, for you guys,
that must seem like finally right, But I think it's
really important that anyway, you said that that experience, because
I think there was a special vibe happening that was
(08:34):
important to recognize that you were part of that. And
I think that through all your careers going and going forward,
no one could ever take that away from you that
you were you were there on day one of that
America's car. How to feel for you, Laura in that environment.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I mean, it was all a bit of a whirll
wind those couple of months. I came into the program
a little bit later, just with things opening up, and yeah,
the opportunity presented itself. So I was just pretty much yes,
soaking it all in the entire time and had to
really like shape myself a couple of times to make
like what like how important it actually was.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
It was quite easy to get a.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Little sucked into like just the racing and putting your
head down and trying to do well because competitive, but
it was pretty special. The first like briefing we had
before the event started, before the training, we had all
the teams in one room with all the race management,
and it like, yeah, the vibe in that room was
(09:33):
just next level, like I've never experienced anything like it before,
and everyone was just yeah, wanting to be a part
of it and wanting to keep pushing for women and sailings.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
So it was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, it's probably the first time it was unified. So
I was gonna say the first time you kind of
all burnt as a group because they've been at any set.
Got volbe semi sailors, you got Olypians, you got people
from different aspects of this crazy sport which people don't
understand alive. It can be you know, from ocean race
into small dinghy racing. You're all doing sailing, right, but
you're probably the whole group first time probably ever I
(10:06):
imagine in a room.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was pretty cool. There were
people who we.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Look up to who we hadn't met before, people who
you know, we were learning where they came from and
what they did and how incredible they are and what
they've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
All in one room. It is kind of like you
look around you're like, WHOA.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
That's a fantastic experience. But also you had other experiences.
I think, Laurie, you're telling me that you use the
simulators a lot so to get to push those right
buttons and drive this thing. It's different than what you
normally sail. How much time was on the simulators versus
out on the boat actually sailing it lots.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
I think they started accounting the hours when everyone first
got in the simulator, and then by the time they
got to it was at least like five hundred hours everyone.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Wow, really there was too many.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Ever, what to say? What time period was the five
hundred hour like the two months or the month or
was that?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
No, it was it was about from October to.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Oh when did you join August?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, October to August, right right, Okay, a couple months.
But we were doing, like some of us were doing
five days a week, sometimes double sessions. Like it was
the only tool we had for about six seven months,
and it was, yeah, the only thing that made you
feel like you were working towards the cup and being
(11:46):
able to be on the boat right right.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
And then as we got closer, other opportunities sort of
presented themselves. We could charter days from another team, so
we charted four days on the French boat.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
But yeah, it was it was a lot of time
in the simulated, a lot of time looking at screens.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, do you speak French?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
No?
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Do you read it? I'm just magining. They probably had
to sit up with French language or through the boat.
You guys, get out of there and go huh, because
pretty much you go go beyond cross on the probably silent.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
They were pretty good with us.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
At being able to speak English and fastn't that way
but anything.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
So let the start.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
When we first jumped on the boat, we had two
French and two Australians just to get us, I guess,
get the ball rolling and get in the boot and
occasionally they'd speak French. The two people on boll would
speak French with each other and we're just either driving
or trimming with just like not knowing.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
You'd be doing thirty knots confused.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Well, I think that's the case too, because I was
speaking about for you two would have to be two
of the fastest women on on yachts in this country.
With you, I mean the speed the forty nine erFX
CA plus you're now down there's carp. I mean the
speeds that you can do on water. Just a brain
sense and the comprehension side of stuff. It's just fascinates me.
I mean you must you must know it yourself, like
(13:14):
that speed of that thing plus also the risk of
that thing. I mean, it's kind of like, well it
seems to be I mean tell me, but it seems
to be always like one turn, one trim off, like
falling off the foils, and that it's diving or just
catapulting itself into oblivion. Would that be true?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, you're pretty on edge a lot of the time.
But when I guess, like when you got into racing,
everyone else is doing the same speeds around you, so
it still felt a little bit like slow mode. But
then when things go wrong, it kind of catches up
to you and you realize how quick you're actually.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Going right, Yes, that relative speed. And I think it's
when you say it's in slow made for all of us,
it's like super Fars, but for you you can't slow. Yeah,
slow down, it's really and I think that that's something
you guys, Your your brains are working so well like that.
I remember the Formula one driver Jackie Stewart have you
ever heard of him? And he won multiple Formula ones.
But he was racing in Monaco, which is a really
(14:05):
tight track, and he came in there is after practice,
he came into the pit, into the pets and he's
talking to his mechanics. He goes, it's unbelievable and they go,
what's that, Jackie, And he goes, you know, I'm turn
three on the wall. There's got two beautiful flowers growing
out of the wall. How do they grow out of
the wall? And they're going, how the fit do you
see that? It was so slavery And he's like, oh
my god, check out. I want to how to you know?
(14:26):
And it's like you used to going at that particular speed,
you know, And I remember the World Moto GP champion
Barry Sheen. He's passed away and a Barry would say
that sometimes he'd be doing like he's doing like two
point fifty two eighty down in main straight and if
we're thinking to himself, she says, where did I put
the car keys? And he said, and all of a sudden,
(14:46):
you'll hit a bump and you'll be back into reality
really fast. He says, actually said, oh, am, I taking
Stephanie out tonight. We're doing pizza, and he's just like, oh,
back into it. So it's I think it's that kind
of experience, isn't that that speed that you that you
were doing. The only thing I wanted to ask you about.
So you were driving lauras some of the time, and
any you were trimming. Yeah, yeah, And you guys, as
(15:08):
opposed to the big America's cupboats, you didn't have the cyclause,
is that right? So how did they? So how did
that work? You had the four of you on. So
what was taking place with the cyclaus on the bigger
boats was all electronics or hydraulics or things like that.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, we had three batteries in the boat to power everything,
so powers the hydraulics. But depending on what you do
will dictate how.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Quickly you go through the batteries.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Okay, in lighter breeze you go through a lot more,
and in breezier stuff as well, because the flaps are
all like autopilot, so you just set the targets on
the boat and you can you can manipulate it a
little bit, but basically how hard those flaps are working
will like that'll drain the batteries, so you can kind
(15:56):
of maintain your battery power.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Similar to the seventy fives.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
How they have to decide, you know, when they do
maneuver based on the power that cycle is giving out.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
But rus siem's a little bit easier, a little bit less.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, well kind of less. I guess you could push
the cycle is harder to go if you didn't make
that error as a trimer or something. But with batteries
that's actually more intense in a way that you know
your battery powers draining during that time. And imagine as
you're getting I guess one of the skill sets would
be actually losing using less battery power, and as you
got better and better, would that be right?
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Yeah, in a way.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So we had two sets of batteries that we'd rotate
through on a day of racing.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Right, the star boat, which we call the.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Mothership, they had all the information of everyone's batteries. But
when it came to the days where we were trying
to fit in like six to eight races, it really
was trying to manage your battery power because at that point,
if one team was really low but the rest of
the teams were like still quite good on battery power,
(17:04):
then they were just going to end the race for
that one team and the.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Others would still finish the race.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Right, did come into like okay, yeah, you have to
manage the battery here, but we also need to learn
how to sail the boat, and we still want to
stay on foils.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
But like you know, it's what priority do you have when.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
It's massive decision making, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It was.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yeah, it was a very very different experience than pull
the sailors on and we have powers.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
That's fascinating that that would occur. And the LEAs thing
I was going to ask you was I remember seeing
a photo any of you right out on the pole,
like on the front of the boat. And when I
first saw it, I was like I forgot what it was.
And I was looking at it and I was like, oh,
the tack line must be jammed or something. Right, I'm
(17:52):
thinking the tack line off the poles and I'm going, oh,
see Jambler and he must be fixing the not And
then I go this thing, what's the doing? I think
you were correct? Wrong, I think you were doing was
it the wind instruments at the front.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
So at that time, so the training needs we were allowed.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
To use a go yeah, okay, So for us.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
It was a massive benefit to have the GoPro on
the front of the boat and on the back of
the boat just to get as much information as we
could possible, the same way you'd put a GoPro on
a forty nine er or any other boat. And so
we're trying to change the batteries of the go pros
because they run out pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It was a really wavy, windy day and a tough job.
So I had to get Olivia. I needed a friend
to help hold me in case I fell off up
there before.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Scary. Yeah, yeah, well, okay, I'm glad we worked out
because I know the wind instruments and everything else that
are on the front of the boat. It was like
super critical to being able to sail it, Like they're
really important part of it. So yeah, okay, groh, I'm
glad you clarify with the GoPros definitely right. All right,
So America's Cup done, You're back at a great experience
(19:13):
doing that. Now you came back for break, So what
do you guys do in a downtime break? So what
do you do when you finally come back and you're
not actually training and you're not selling America's Cup? What
do you guys do to chill out? Apart from not
go to concerts?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
But yeah, I think for me, oh, for me, it
differs like depending on where the break is in the year.
And I guess how fatigued I already feel. But this break,
like the summer in Sydney was seriously turning it on.
(19:47):
It was hot every day and good nouris is coming through,
so it.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Did a lot of winging, okay, yeah, yeah, and just
eating a lot of good food.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
And which they couldn't get away from the water. But
you're winning it, so that's good. All right, fantastic, Laura.
What did you get up to?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I'm pretty similar actually a little bit of week. I'm
not as good as any so I'm working on it. Yeah, idiots,
a little bit more time on the water than her,
and a little bit of work here and there, and yeah,
spending time at home with family and friends, and yeah,
Christmas and New Year's is always good because everyone else
has time off too. Yes, during the year, like we'll
(20:27):
have time off, We'll have like ten days off, like
after an event, and you know.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
It'll be winter, the middle of winter and no one
one's around. Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
And I guess really weird, isn't I think Christmas period
is it's like everyone's on a leave right around there
Christmas year period, and like I've always fine, like during
the year. If I take like a week off, I
feel like I'm wagging school. Yeah what are you doing? Man?
Don't tidy one, but I'm just coming looser, keep it
a low down. Don't tell the other thirty thousand people
that are here. But I'm like someone like, oh, I'm working, man,
(20:59):
I'm doing this. I'm doing Whereas Christmas time everyone's like
on holiday. It's like or least Australia is on holiday.
So I think it's a great point. So now now
we switched back. So any of you guys are getting
sore hands, muscles coming into it, pulling on strings again.
So you're back. You're back. I think this week or
last week in the in the forty nine er FX
you were training in Lake Macquarie, I think first, and
(21:20):
then you're down in Melbourne now training. So what's what's
it look like from here? So you had a fantastic
twenty twenty four of the campaign. Let's just say, in
twenty twenty four, what are you going to do differently
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I think we're going to change our priorities a little
bit up for the first year of the quad obviously,
like you don't want to go all in for the
first year and kind of spend all your energy and
money too, So you got to pace yourself a little
bit but still tick off boxes that you wanted to
work in the right direction. So yeah, I've got to
(21:55):
get a little bit of UNI done, so spend a
little bit more time Melbourne. I'm actually going to your campus. Yeah,
it's a bit of a change for the last couple
of years. So yeah, we'll balance that with the training
and the racing that we've got in Europe. So the moment,
we'll do at least like three European trips, do the
(22:17):
Europeans in the world later in the year, and go
to Parma in like six or eight weeks time from here.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
And he's canning it down, by the way, she can
tell you exactly the hours and days.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
She looks it dates all the time.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Now, just come back a little second. Laurie mentioned the quad,
So you're talking about the four year campaign? Was the quad?
One year? So four year campaigned to La. Have you
sailed in LA oh yet?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
No? No, But we have a lot of friends who
have as much as possible.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Well, and it's actually I don't know what the flight
difference is. It's probably shorter, isn't it to La than
it is to Europe? Oh yeah, two hours, which is significant.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
That's very good. It's just one flight straight to where
a no dramas. Yeah, fingers crossed. The only hard thing
is now we have to have a boat a hull
in three continents.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Okay, yeah, I was going to ask you about that.
So now, yeah, that's pretty much the only way to
do it, isn't it. Yeah? Yeah? Okay, So so first
first quite first year, don't blow all the money, don't
blow they keep keep the money gain. So there's three regattas.
They're going to do Parma. What else are you going
to be doing this year? Probably World champ Where are
the worlds this year?
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Our Worlds are in Cabuliari in Italy.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Oh yeah, down the bottom, and then we have there
at the end of the year in October, and then
we have our European Championships in Thessaloniki and Greece.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah. Yeah. That's one good thing is the pretty good venues,
aren't they, at least they sound.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yeah exactly. They're all very spread out. This year, so yeah,
we do have to do three trips.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
But yeah, when you talk to someone who's not a
sailor and you go, oh, I have to go to
Greece and then I have to go to Italy, they
don't really look at you like, oh, your life is
really hard.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
That's right. Well you're going to flip that too. You
don't have to get to yeah privilege. You get to
go and you go to this place. It doesn't take
anyway from being harder. Because sometimes I remember talking to
one of the professional cyclists, in fact it was it
was Canal Evans and he was in a post. He
talked about I'm riding the routes that I used to
race on and I made this comment. I said, it's
(24:37):
great now that you can actually look around rather than
focus on the bummer, the guy and Frannie or the
hub and myther pro cyclist was someone said, oh, your
life is so good. You go through his Italian cities
and French provincial cities. He's going, I literally don't even
know where I am. I'm just like that. I'm just
like head down, I'm working my team, I'm hearing and
I count in a glance and go oh, he'd be
great to come back with a family, and I'm just
(24:58):
I don't know where it was. I just keep going,
and I think sometimes less intense like that for you guys,
you get to stop, have a race and come out
look at it a bit, but still you're still there
for a purpose though, aren't you. I mean still at
the end of the day, it's a job for you guys,
and so it results count, and so there's all that
added added pressure that's on it. What percentage do you
do racing versus practice? What do you reckon? That would
(25:22):
be ball part.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
I think it changes each year and each each sort
of quad that you have.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
I think like when we first started, the percentage of
training versus racing, they were both really high, but for us,
the training was super high. It was probably like eighty
percent training twenty percent racing. Right, it kind of balances
out and then I think it either stays balanced for
a while and then eventually the racing kind of gets higher.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Yeah, maybe we're in a bit of the balance moment.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So it's a really good point. I was reading an
article on all of the America's Cup guys was talking
about where I think it's like nearly nearly ninety percent
is on the training and the practice, which you guys
can relate to now, and then ten percent's on the racing.
And it's a really fascinating balance. It's actually very applicable
to business and a lot of people in business who
have got people who listen to the show in business
(26:20):
do like they don't do any practice. It's just they
kind of just go in and do meetings and pitches
and whatever they're doing, and they don't. It's like ninety
eight percent would be racing essentially, in two percent would
be doing any rehearsal, role play. It's actually quite foreign.
Yet in sport it's literally flipped. It makes sense. Never goes,
(26:41):
oh yeah, I do that in sport. You go to business.
One you do in business. I don't haven't thought about it,
you know, you actually to go. It's really interesting because
people don't allow people to practice in business, that's bottom line.
But when it's great talking to you, because that's the flip,
isn't it. I love the quad thing. I think that's
really smart too, and their changes over the period of
time because you get to a point where you've trained
(27:02):
out like you actually you've got the skill set and
the mindset done, and I have a framework called mindset,
skill set, tool set, and so you've got that pretty
much nail. But then the actual skill set is the
racing skill set. That's a whole different ball game. That's
where the rubber hits the road. You know, you've got
to a plan that's a whole different skill set that
you then go and apply. I think it's a really
interesting formula. What happens in twenty How far out do
(27:26):
you plan? So with the twenty twenty five and then
you go to twenty if you plan out second quad
which is twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven, how
far out are you guys going with the planning of
what you're going to do.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I mean at the start of the quad you do
want to map out I guess where you think you need,
like you will need equipment.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
In terms of the budget, so.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
You have to look like the four years in advance, right, see,
you know how you can maintain spending a certain amount
of money for the trips you're going to do In
terms of the calendar doesn't really come out until like
the year before, so we can't really plan every trip
we want to do and how we're going to work
the racing training balance where we do that, So that
(28:09):
kind of comes into play about a year before. But
in terms of what we do over the four years,
we've had you know, many many sit down meetings about
how we want to operate during the four years and
how we want to lead up to twenty twenty eight.
So everything you know, used to have to start a
bigger picture and then talk finer details. But yeah, we
(28:30):
do always think about the four years as to like
what we're going to do in the next couple of
months and how that's going to impact right journey over
a long period of time. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Hew, And do you how do you know the qualifying
did they give you the qualifying regattas like for you
to be selected for LA how far an advance? Do
you know what the qualification is going to be, what
regatis are going to choose or what you need to do,
which ones you absolutely need to attend to, which ones
are kind of nice to have.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Yeah, Well, it all kind of starts with the ICAF Worlds.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
So they happen once a quad and it's the first
time that anyone can qualify their country as spot yep,
and so that is always given to you like, when
that's going to be is always given to you at
the start of the quad, so we know that's going
to be in the middle of twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Right, it's in the middle of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
But they've kind of done it different this time, so
we actually won't find out in terms of Australian sailing
and what they decide they're going to be the qualifying
regattas after that, we don't really know until it gets
to about twenty twenty seven, the start of the end
of twenty twenty six, when it sort of gets closer
(29:47):
to what is really happening.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Essentially, then we find.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Out, Yeah, it's it's I mean, that's a really interesting
scenario to be it, isn't it. But it's not unlike
forecasting and thinking ahead, you know, someone said, it's a
great quote someone said, which is like you know, on
your car, your car headlights or you know kind of
you can see the next thirty meetings. You can't sit
next one hundred klometers, right, you just got to know
where you're going and have a direction. But it is
(30:13):
kind of foggy in a way, isn't it that you
but you know there's these Mosstown. You're going to can't
wait for them to be to come out and be clarified.
You just know they're there.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Yeah, and you can generally guess where they're going to be,
Like they're going to be a World's they're going to
be Euros, they're going to choose the bigger events.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Yeah, so you can generally guess it. But it's exactly
what you said. It becomes way more clear the closer
you get to it.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah, I guess there's going to be something that I
imagine he's going to be some in la beforehand.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Yeah, potentially we do have a World's there or they're
trying to get a World's there in twenty twenty six, right,
But yeah, again, all it all plays out eventually. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Well, the difference would be a bit English speaking a
bit a bit different. I guess flying little little lesson
feel a little bit closer I mentioned than when you're
traveling over to Europe, so you know selections, you're all
pumped up for going here. Where do you keep your
boat in Europe? Just this, by the way, do you
have essentraly? Where would you keep your boat in here?
What's the smartest place.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
We always keep it? In Barcelona.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
It just seems to be like the first event of
the year is always in Parma most of the time.
So yeah, we always fly into Barcelona. It's just there's
a storage place, like a standing storage place that we
paid it leave everything there.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Over the Ustralia in summer.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Is it in the marina? Is that in the marina?
Then near the marina?
Speaker 3 (31:36):
No, it's a little bit further around.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
It's about a forty minute drive from Barcelona from the
city around place.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, pretty handy.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah, it's a it's a big shed, so everything is undercover.
Everything's tucked away for the months that we're at home.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Right, Yeah, nice and yeah and so there. Now you're
thinking we're going to probably have to get a boat
in the US at some point.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
All right, we'll deal with that when it comes.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
We'll talk about that. Any benefactor's listening looking to provide
a boat, please please please do. The message goes now
speaking of that, how do people find out more about
you guys and give you money and stuff like that
in boats? So what's what are all your socials? I'll
put them on there, I'll put them on the yard
on all the information as well, but just give them to.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
US now, so we have the same handle for all
of our social media. It's just Harding Will Want Sailing.
We're on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and we also have an
Australian Sports Foundation page which is linked in our Instagram profile.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
So everything's there. Everything's at Harding Will Night, yep, everywhere,
And you do guys do a great job too. By
the way, I really loving what you're doing on your
socials and I think you're ramping that up. You're doing
more on your socials this year, trying to Yeah, it
seems like you are. No, it seems like you only
just have to the bottom line. Bottom line is I
tell people, you know, if you're in business or doing
(32:58):
what you guys are, which essentially is a busy because
you've got to fund this thing, you're basically immediate production
house as well. Yeah, and that's it's just and it's
it's a real mind shift to think about that and
so grab that opportunity. So I love what you're doing
on the story is just the capturing behind the scenes
stuff is really cool. So I think you just got
to do that because that's part of part of what
you do these days is part of differentiation. Not everyone
(33:19):
can do it. A lot of people hate it and
I think it's but it is what it is, you know,
you just you just have to do with what you
have to do. Hey, look fantastic. Thanks you for taking
time to have a chat to us today. It's been awesome.
And now you're sailing. So you're back sailing out of Brighton.
For halling you down here for in Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
We're just finishing up. We're still at the lake.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
We've got a couple more days and then I'll drive
everything down, okay, and we'll be down in Melbourne on
and off for like a month.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Right, okay, and then and then it's pack up and
go get over to cold Parma, cold, cold but lovely Palmer.
All right. Well, thanks so much, Laura Awnie for having
a chat today. Really appreciate it and looking forward to
looking at all your results and more importantly your socials.
Thanks for being on the show.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Back. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the It's
All Possible Podcast. You can contact me at Rob at
Robhardner dot com or my website Robharder dot com, or
on LinkedIn. Remember to check out the previous seasons and
episodes of the podcast and the show notes for more
(34:25):
details on this episode's guest. For more inspiration, remember to
check out the All Possibility Players on Spotted By, which
contains a collection upbeat, positive music I use for inspiration
in my live performances. Until next time, live with passion
and a perspective of possibility.
The most successful people in the world all have one
thing in common. They've learned how to think big by
developing a perspective of possibility. And the good news is
we all have the potential to apply the same strategies
to achieve amazing things in our work and lives. Hi,
I'm Rob Hartnett, and as your chief Possibility Officer and host,
(00:27):
I'm here to inspire you to become the star of
your world as a person of possibility through learning how
people from all areas of life are thinking big and
chasing down their dreams. I have some special guests today,
very excited, very excited today to have the team of
Harding Wilmot sailing along today. Anny Willmot, Laura Harding, Welcome
(00:49):
to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thanks for having us again. Great to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Well, you know, I was thinking about you guys, and
what an amazing twenty twenty four for you guys. Have
fifth in the twenty twenty four World, in the forty
nine er FX six in the twenty twenty four Euros.
But most importantly, seriously, let's celebrate the fact that you're
a return guest on my podcast. That's where it's all at, right, Okay,
it's a very small, unique group. Not many have made
(01:14):
this back, so good news is, ladies and gentlemen. If
you want to get more background on the girls, we
did a podcast last year about this time last year
in fact, and it was a lot of fun and
they passed the audition. So you're back back again. And
can I also say, not wanting to take any glory here,
but honestly, just after the podcast with me came out,
(01:37):
you guys started sailing faster. I'm sure I literally looked
at the trajectory. Now. It hasn't improved my sailing it,
but certainly improved yours. So but look, a great note,
brilliant work in twenty twenty four. You must have been
very pleased with how you went. But look, I want
to just recap a little bit. Get to know you
two a little better as humanoids because you are elite athloids,
(01:59):
but you are still fleets, but you still are real people.
So all right, Laura, let's start with you first. Where
are you're from? Where's your principal city where you're based?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Based in Victoria?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Holmes, Blake, Garry, I don't really see Melbourne because I'm
not a city person.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, each yeah, I love it. All right, what music
are you listening to?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Oh? I love folk and a little bit of country sometimes,
but also just the hot hits of the week as well.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
All right, big tip. Have you heard of Noline Hoffman? No, okay,
I need to listen to her. You'll love her. She's
about God. I think she's only twenty three. Nolene Hoffman.
She's from Canada and she's just hit the high road
because she's just done a duet with Zach Bryant, who
recorded one of her songs. Zach found Zach. But Nolan Hoffman,
(02:51):
one of my boys, actually turned me on the Nolan Hoffman.
And if you've just said that you'll love her stuff?
All right, most recent concert you've attended?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I mean I had tickets to go to Noah Khan,
but I didn't get to go, so I would say
that I got to go.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Now I can't. We've been good. Yeah. You use to
use a can when you're when you're doing workouts in
the gym.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It's mostly actually the pre pre racing playlist.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Oh really, I like the one yet, What's you got?
Is it britten in Britain?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Out?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
That's why I use that word now. A Khan fan,
he actually records. You need to be a little bit
mentally disturbed, Like, Noah, can't. I got that on my Spotify,
the little thing he said.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
If you're not if you're not dysfunctional and got really
bad family problems or bigger issues, you probably shouldn't be
listening to me. I don't know how you got on
to me.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Music.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Can I just listen to the music?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Man?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
That gets so deep? And now you sell all around
the world. So what's your favorite sailing venue apart from
Blake Area? Obviously it's where.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Else favorite sailing venue? I mean, Garda was pretty cool.
We got to do that in an RS twenty one
and that was yeah, pretty iconic.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, on the cliffs and.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Yeah it does look epic, it is. It is on
definitely a list I want to get to very soon. Okay, Annie,
what city are you from?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Sydney? But it's Northern Beaches.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah, I like that. I was waiting for the butt,
yeah the But okay, what are you listening to?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I also am a country fan, but I've been listening
to a lot of Gracie Abrams.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Oh yeah, so have I Yeah, yeah, a lot of
Gracy Abrams. Of course you know who for her father
is No, that's J. J. Abrams, the film director.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Of course it is.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. But you know, all kudos to her
because it would have been harder to get the gig
racy Abrams. So yeah, she spent. She's really really great.
We like her too. Most recent concert.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Hosier a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, that's just dedication to sailing.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
He's fantastic though, if you ever have the chance to.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Go see him, Yeah, yeah, insane, unbelievable and favorite sailing
media for you. I'd also say Garter, but I think
I think Palmer's pretty iconic.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Can't really go past Parma. We go there every year.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, yeah, it's a good one. Look forward to it.
Mut to do. There's probably great regretted as you guys
look forward to as you plan out you know, the circuit. Yeah, fantastic.
Or I got to take you back a little bit
now because and it was a great quote you made,
and it was just before you started getting back into
training again. You made this comment. You said, I'm just
going to read the quote or get as close as
I can, but something like I'm looking forward to sailing again.
(05:49):
I'm looking for the pulling ropes and not pushing buttons.
Tell us a little bit about what you meant by that.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, definitely not the pushing mental buttons, but you know
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I guess on the America's Cup boat, everything is
battery powered, and I was the trimmer on the boat.
So I had this little button panel and it had
about eight buttons. I knew exactly where each one was
and what they did, and you know, how they operated
and how I could use them. And it was pretty
(06:24):
funny that you don't have to be that fit to
push a button.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
That's the joke.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We all were sailing the Cup. Yeah, and then now
it's it's back to pulling ropes. The hands are saw
the hands saw the first week of sailing.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, both we're like, oh gosh, we're not used to this.
Out of the boat, not not pulling ropes.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Well, yeah, but I guess you can have a career
after sounding could be an it director. Were you just
sitting down there and watching start that fit? Now, let's
talk a little bit about this though, because what you
did was pretty spectacular, So you just dropped in the
fact that you were doing the America. Tell us about that,
DIC because you guys involved in the Women's America's Cup.
(07:07):
What was so special about that and how did you
get involved?
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I think the Women's America's Cup it was super special
because it was the first time that females had their
own competition, so it was females against females, and there
were six boats on the start line, but twelve boats
all up, so we had so many great females in
the sport, all competing for one trophy for the first time.
(07:36):
And you know, we had Olympic medalists, we had Volvo
ocean races.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
All competing for the same thing, and it was it
was just super special.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
The environment that we had on the on land, like
around the dock was it was just I forget the word,
but it just it felt so special. Like everyone everyone
was happy to be there. They knew how important it was,
but it was more just super exciting to be able
to give to have been given the opportunity to be there,
(08:10):
I think was the main thing.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I love how the fact that I think you was
really important to remain present because it was special, and
I kind of think it's twenty twenty four we finally
got round to it, Like I mean, for you guys,
that must seem like finally right, But I think it's
really important that anyway, you said that that experience, because
I think there was a special vibe happening that was
(08:34):
important to recognize that you were part of that. And
I think that through all your careers going and going forward,
no one could ever take that away from you that
you were you were there on day one of that
America's car. How to feel for you, Laura in that environment.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I mean, it was all a bit of a whirll
wind those couple of months. I came into the program
a little bit later, just with things opening up, and yeah,
the opportunity presented itself. So I was just pretty much yes,
soaking it all in the entire time and had to
really like shape myself a couple of times to make
like what like how important it actually was.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
It was quite easy to get a.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Little sucked into like just the racing and putting your
head down and trying to do well because competitive, but
it was pretty special. The first like briefing we had
before the event started, before the training, we had all
the teams in one room with all the race management,
and it like, yeah, the vibe in that room was
(09:33):
just next level, like I've never experienced anything like it before,
and everyone was just yeah, wanting to be a part
of it and wanting to keep pushing for women and sailings.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
So it was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, it's probably the first time it was unified. So
I was gonna say the first time you kind of
all burnt as a group because they've been at any set.
Got volbe semi sailors, you got Olypians, you got people
from different aspects of this crazy sport which people don't
understand alive. It can be you know, from ocean race
into small dinghy racing. You're all doing sailing, right, but
you're probably the whole group first time probably ever I
(10:06):
imagine in a room.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was pretty cool. There were
people who we.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Look up to who we hadn't met before, people who
you know, we were learning where they came from and
what they did and how incredible they are and what
they've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
All in one room. It is kind of like you
look around you're like, WHOA.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
That's a fantastic experience. But also you had other experiences.
I think, Laurie, you're telling me that you use the
simulators a lot so to get to push those right
buttons and drive this thing. It's different than what you
normally sail. How much time was on the simulators versus
out on the boat actually sailing it lots.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
I think they started accounting the hours when everyone first
got in the simulator, and then by the time they
got to it was at least like five hundred hours everyone.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Wow, really there was too many.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Ever, what to say? What time period was the five
hundred hour like the two months or the month or
was that?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
No, it was it was about from October to.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Oh when did you join August?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, October to August, right right, Okay, a couple months.
But we were doing, like some of us were doing
five days a week, sometimes double sessions. Like it was
the only tool we had for about six seven months,
and it was, yeah, the only thing that made you
feel like you were working towards the cup and being
(11:46):
able to be on the boat right right.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
And then as we got closer, other opportunities sort of
presented themselves. We could charter days from another team, so
we charted four days on the French boat.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
But yeah, it was it was a lot of time
in the simulated, a lot of time looking at screens.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, do you speak French?
Speaker 3 (12:10):
No?
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Do you read it? I'm just magining. They probably had
to sit up with French language or through the boat.
You guys, get out of there and go huh, because
pretty much you go go beyond cross on the probably silent.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
They were pretty good with us.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
At being able to speak English and fastn't that way
but anything.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
So let the start.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
When we first jumped on the boat, we had two
French and two Australians just to get us, I guess,
get the ball rolling and get in the boot and
occasionally they'd speak French. The two people on boll would
speak French with each other and we're just either driving
or trimming with just like not knowing.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
You'd be doing thirty knots confused.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Well, I think that's the case too, because I was
speaking about for you two would have to be two
of the fastest women on on yachts in this country.
With you, I mean the speed the forty nine erFX
CA plus you're now down there's carp. I mean the
speeds that you can do on water. Just a brain
sense and the comprehension side of stuff. It's just fascinates me.
I mean you must you must know it yourself, like
(13:14):
that speed of that thing plus also the risk of
that thing. I mean, it's kind of like, well it
seems to be I mean tell me, but it seems
to be always like one turn, one trim off, like
falling off the foils, and that it's diving or just
catapulting itself into oblivion. Would that be true?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, you're pretty on edge a lot of the time.
But when I guess, like when you got into racing,
everyone else is doing the same speeds around you, so
it still felt a little bit like slow mode. But
then when things go wrong, it kind of catches up
to you and you realize how quick you're actually.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Going right, Yes, that relative speed. And I think it's
when you say it's in slow made for all of us,
it's like super Fars, but for you you can't slow. Yeah,
slow down, it's really and I think that that's something
you guys, Your your brains are working so well like that.
I remember the Formula one driver Jackie Stewart have you
ever heard of him? And he won multiple Formula ones.
But he was racing in Monaco, which is a really
(14:05):
tight track, and he came in there is after practice,
he came into the pit, into the pets and he's
talking to his mechanics. He goes, it's unbelievable and they go,
what's that, Jackie, And he goes, you know, I'm turn
three on the wall. There's got two beautiful flowers growing
out of the wall. How do they grow out of
the wall? And they're going, how the fit do you
see that? It was so slavery And he's like, oh
my god, check out. I want to how to you know?
(14:26):
And it's like you used to going at that particular speed,
you know, And I remember the World Moto GP champion
Barry Sheen. He's passed away and a Barry would say
that sometimes he'd be doing like he's doing like two
point fifty two eighty down in main straight and if
we're thinking to himself, she says, where did I put
the car keys? And he said, and all of a sudden,
(14:46):
you'll hit a bump and you'll be back into reality
really fast. He says, actually said, oh, am, I taking
Stephanie out tonight. We're doing pizza, and he's just like, oh,
back into it. So it's I think it's that kind
of experience, isn't that that speed that you that you
were doing. The only thing I wanted to ask you about.
So you were driving lauras some of the time, and
any you were trimming. Yeah, yeah, And you guys, as
(15:08):
opposed to the big America's cupboats, you didn't have the cyclause,
is that right? So how did they? So how did
that work? You had the four of you on. So
what was taking place with the cyclaus on the bigger
boats was all electronics or hydraulics or things like that.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, we had three batteries in the boat to power everything,
so powers the hydraulics. But depending on what you do
will dictate how.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Quickly you go through the batteries.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Okay, in lighter breeze you go through a lot more,
and in breezier stuff as well, because the flaps are
all like autopilot, so you just set the targets on
the boat and you can you can manipulate it a
little bit, but basically how hard those flaps are working
will like that'll drain the batteries, so you can kind
(15:56):
of maintain your battery power.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Similar to the seventy fives.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
How they have to decide, you know, when they do
maneuver based on the power that cycle is giving out.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
But rus siem's a little bit easier, a little bit less.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, well kind of less. I guess you could push
the cycle is harder to go if you didn't make
that error as a trimer or something. But with batteries
that's actually more intense in a way that you know
your battery powers draining during that time. And imagine as
you're getting I guess one of the skill sets would
be actually losing using less battery power, and as you
got better and better, would that be right?
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Yeah, in a way.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So we had two sets of batteries that we'd rotate
through on a day of racing.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Right, the star boat, which we call the.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Mothership, they had all the information of everyone's batteries. But
when it came to the days where we were trying
to fit in like six to eight races, it really
was trying to manage your battery power because at that point,
if one team was really low but the rest of
the teams were like still quite good on battery power,
(17:04):
then they were just going to end the race for
that one team and the.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Others would still finish the race.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Right, did come into like okay, yeah, you have to
manage the battery here, but we also need to learn
how to sail the boat, and we still want to
stay on foils.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
But like you know, it's what priority do you have when.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
It's massive decision making, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It was.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yeah, it was a very very different experience than pull
the sailors on and we have powers.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
That's fascinating that that would occur. And the LEAs thing
I was going to ask you was I remember seeing
a photo any of you right out on the pole,
like on the front of the boat. And when I
first saw it, I was like I forgot what it was.
And I was looking at it and I was like, oh,
the tack line must be jammed or something. Right, I'm
(17:52):
thinking the tack line off the poles and I'm going, oh,
see Jambler and he must be fixing the not And
then I go this thing, what's the doing? I think
you were correct? Wrong, I think you were doing was
it the wind instruments at the front.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
So at that time, so the training needs we were allowed.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
To use a go yeah, okay, So for us.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
It was a massive benefit to have the GoPro on
the front of the boat and on the back of
the boat just to get as much information as we
could possible, the same way you'd put a GoPro on
a forty nine er or any other boat. And so
we're trying to change the batteries of the go pros
because they run out pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It was a really wavy, windy day and a tough job.
So I had to get Olivia. I needed a friend
to help hold me in case I fell off up
there before.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Scary. Yeah, yeah, well, okay, I'm glad we worked out
because I know the wind instruments and everything else that
are on the front of the boat. It was like
super critical to being able to sail it, Like they're
really important part of it. So yeah, okay, groh, I'm
glad you clarify with the GoPros definitely right. All right,
So America's Cup done, You're back at a great experience
(19:13):
doing that. Now you came back for break, So what
do you guys do in a downtime break? So what
do you do when you finally come back and you're
not actually training and you're not selling America's Cup? What
do you guys do to chill out? Apart from not
go to concerts?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
But yeah, I think for me, oh, for me, it
differs like depending on where the break is in the year.
And I guess how fatigued I already feel. But this break,
like the summer in Sydney was seriously turning it on.
(19:47):
It was hot every day and good nouris is coming through,
so it.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Did a lot of winging, okay, yeah, yeah, and just
eating a lot of good food.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
And which they couldn't get away from the water. But
you're winning it, so that's good. All right, fantastic, Laura.
What did you get up to?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I'm pretty similar actually a little bit of week. I'm
not as good as any so I'm working on it. Yeah, idiots,
a little bit more time on the water than her,
and a little bit of work here and there, and yeah,
spending time at home with family and friends, and yeah,
Christmas and New Year's is always good because everyone else
has time off too. Yes, during the year, like we'll
(20:27):
have time off, We'll have like ten days off, like
after an event, and you know.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
It'll be winter, the middle of winter and no one
one's around. Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
And I guess really weird, isn't I think Christmas period
is it's like everyone's on a leave right around there
Christmas year period, and like I've always fine, like during
the year. If I take like a week off, I
feel like I'm wagging school. Yeah what are you doing? Man?
Don't tidy one, but I'm just coming looser, keep it
a low down. Don't tell the other thirty thousand people
that are here. But I'm like someone like, oh, I'm working, man,
(20:59):
I'm doing this. I'm doing Whereas Christmas time everyone's like
on holiday. It's like or least Australia is on holiday.
So I think it's a great point. So now now
we switched back. So any of you guys are getting
sore hands, muscles coming into it, pulling on strings again.
So you're back. You're back. I think this week or
last week in the in the forty nine er FX
you were training in Lake Macquarie, I think first, and
(21:20):
then you're down in Melbourne now training. So what's what's
it look like from here? So you had a fantastic
twenty twenty four of the campaign. Let's just say, in
twenty twenty four, what are you going to do differently
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I think we're going to change our priorities a little
bit up for the first year of the quad obviously,
like you don't want to go all in for the
first year and kind of spend all your energy and
money too, So you got to pace yourself a little
bit but still tick off boxes that you wanted to
work in the right direction. So yeah, I've got to
(21:55):
get a little bit of UNI done, so spend a
little bit more time Melbourne. I'm actually going to your campus. Yeah,
it's a bit of a change for the last couple
of years. So yeah, we'll balance that with the training
and the racing that we've got in Europe. So the moment,
we'll do at least like three European trips, do the
(22:17):
Europeans in the world later in the year, and go
to Parma in like six or eight weeks time from here.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
And he's canning it down, by the way, she can
tell you exactly the hours and days.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
She looks it dates all the time.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Now, just come back a little second. Laurie mentioned the quad,
So you're talking about the four year campaign? Was the quad?
One year? So four year campaigned to La. Have you
sailed in LA oh yet?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
No? No, But we have a lot of friends who
have as much as possible.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Well, and it's actually I don't know what the flight
difference is. It's probably shorter, isn't it to La than
it is to Europe? Oh yeah, two hours, which is significant.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
That's very good. It's just one flight straight to where
a no dramas. Yeah, fingers crossed. The only hard thing
is now we have to have a boat a hull
in three continents.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Okay, yeah, I was going to ask you about that.
So now, yeah, that's pretty much the only way to
do it, isn't it. Yeah? Yeah? Okay, So so first
first quite first year, don't blow all the money, don't
blow they keep keep the money gain. So there's three regattas.
They're going to do Parma. What else are you going
to be doing this year? Probably World champ Where are
the worlds this year?
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Our Worlds are in Cabuliari in Italy.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Oh yeah, down the bottom, and then we have there
at the end of the year in October, and then
we have our European Championships in Thessaloniki and Greece.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah. Yeah. That's one good thing is the pretty good venues,
aren't they, at least they sound.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yeah exactly. They're all very spread out. This year, so yeah,
we do have to do three trips.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
But yeah, when you talk to someone who's not a
sailor and you go, oh, I have to go to
Greece and then I have to go to Italy, they
don't really look at you like, oh, your life is
really hard.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
That's right. Well you're going to flip that too. You
don't have to get to yeah privilege. You get to
go and you go to this place. It doesn't take
anyway from being harder. Because sometimes I remember talking to
one of the professional cyclists, in fact it was it
was Canal Evans and he was in a post. He
talked about I'm riding the routes that I used to
race on and I made this comment. I said, it's
(24:37):
great now that you can actually look around rather than
focus on the bummer, the guy and Frannie or the
hub and myther pro cyclist was someone said, oh, your
life is so good. You go through his Italian cities
and French provincial cities. He's going, I literally don't even
know where I am. I'm just like that. I'm just
like head down, I'm working my team, I'm hearing and
I count in a glance and go oh, he'd be
great to come back with a family, and I'm just
(24:58):
I don't know where it was. I just keep going,
and I think sometimes less intense like that for you guys,
you get to stop, have a race and come out
look at it a bit, but still you're still there
for a purpose though, aren't you. I mean still at
the end of the day, it's a job for you guys,
and so it results count, and so there's all that
added added pressure that's on it. What percentage do you
do racing versus practice? What do you reckon? That would
(25:22):
be ball part.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
I think it changes each year and each each sort
of quad that you have.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
I think like when we first started, the percentage of
training versus racing, they were both really high, but for us,
the training was super high. It was probably like eighty
percent training twenty percent racing. Right, it kind of balances
out and then I think it either stays balanced for
a while and then eventually the racing kind of gets higher.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Yeah, maybe we're in a bit of the balance moment.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So it's a really good point. I was reading an
article on all of the America's Cup guys was talking
about where I think it's like nearly nearly ninety percent
is on the training and the practice, which you guys
can relate to now, and then ten percent's on the racing.
And it's a really fascinating balance. It's actually very applicable
to business and a lot of people in business who
have got people who listen to the show in business
(26:20):
do like they don't do any practice. It's just they
kind of just go in and do meetings and pitches
and whatever they're doing, and they don't. It's like ninety
eight percent would be racing essentially, in two percent would
be doing any rehearsal, role play. It's actually quite foreign.
Yet in sport it's literally flipped. It makes sense. Never goes,
(26:41):
oh yeah, I do that in sport. You go to business.
One you do in business. I don't haven't thought about it,
you know, you actually to go. It's really interesting because
people don't allow people to practice in business, that's bottom line.
But when it's great talking to you, because that's the flip,
isn't it. I love the quad thing. I think that's
really smart too, and their changes over the period of
time because you get to a point where you've trained
(27:02):
out like you actually you've got the skill set and
the mindset done, and I have a framework called mindset,
skill set, tool set, and so you've got that pretty
much nail. But then the actual skill set is the
racing skill set. That's a whole different ball game. That's
where the rubber hits the road. You know, you've got
to a plan that's a whole different skill set that
you then go and apply. I think it's a really
interesting formula. What happens in twenty How far out do
(27:26):
you plan? So with the twenty twenty five and then
you go to twenty if you plan out second quad
which is twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven, how
far out are you guys going with the planning of
what you're going to do.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I mean at the start of the quad you do
want to map out I guess where you think you need,
like you will need equipment.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
In terms of the budget, so.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
You have to look like the four years in advance, right, see,
you know how you can maintain spending a certain amount
of money for the trips you're going to do In
terms of the calendar doesn't really come out until like
the year before, so we can't really plan every trip
we want to do and how we're going to work
the racing training balance where we do that, So that
(28:09):
kind of comes into play about a year before. But
in terms of what we do over the four years,
we've had you know, many many sit down meetings about
how we want to operate during the four years and
how we want to lead up to twenty twenty eight.
So everything you know, used to have to start a
bigger picture and then talk finer details. But yeah, we
(28:30):
do always think about the four years as to like
what we're going to do in the next couple of
months and how that's going to impact right journey over
a long period of time. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Hew, And do you how do you know the qualifying
did they give you the qualifying regattas like for you
to be selected for LA how far an advance? Do
you know what the qualification is going to be, what
regatis are going to choose or what you need to do,
which ones you absolutely need to attend to, which ones
are kind of nice to have.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Yeah, Well, it all kind of starts with the ICAF Worlds.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
So they happen once a quad and it's the first
time that anyone can qualify their country as spot yep,
and so that is always given to you like, when
that's going to be is always given to you at
the start of the quad, so we know that's going
to be in the middle of twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Right, it's in the middle of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
But they've kind of done it different this time, so
we actually won't find out in terms of Australian sailing
and what they decide they're going to be the qualifying
regattas after that, we don't really know until it gets
to about twenty twenty seven, the start of the end
of twenty twenty six, when it sort of gets closer
(29:47):
to what is really happening.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Essentially, then we find.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Out, Yeah, it's it's I mean, that's a really interesting
scenario to be it, isn't it. But it's not unlike
forecasting and thinking ahead, you know, someone said, it's a
great quote someone said, which is like you know, on
your car, your car headlights or you know kind of
you can see the next thirty meetings. You can't sit
next one hundred klometers, right, you just got to know
where you're going and have a direction. But it is
(30:13):
kind of foggy in a way, isn't it that you
but you know there's these Mosstown. You're going to can't
wait for them to be to come out and be clarified.
You just know they're there.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Yeah, and you can generally guess where they're going to be,
Like they're going to be a World's they're going to
be Euros, they're going to choose the bigger events.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Yeah, so you can generally guess it. But it's exactly
what you said. It becomes way more clear the closer
you get to it.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah, I guess there's going to be something that I
imagine he's going to be some in la beforehand.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Yeah, potentially we do have a World's there or they're
trying to get a World's there in twenty twenty six, right,
But yeah, again, all it all plays out eventually. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Well, the difference would be a bit English speaking a
bit a bit different. I guess flying little little lesson
feel a little bit closer I mentioned than when you're
traveling over to Europe, so you know selections, you're all
pumped up for going here. Where do you keep your
boat in Europe? Just this, by the way, do you
have essentraly? Where would you keep your boat in here?
What's the smartest place.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
We always keep it? In Barcelona.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
It just seems to be like the first event of
the year is always in Parma most of the time.
So yeah, we always fly into Barcelona. It's just there's
a storage place, like a standing storage place that we
paid it leave everything there.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Over the Ustralia in summer.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Is it in the marina? Is that in the marina?
Then near the marina?
Speaker 3 (31:36):
No, it's a little bit further around.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
It's about a forty minute drive from Barcelona from the
city around place.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yeah, pretty handy.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah, it's a it's a big shed, so everything is undercover.
Everything's tucked away for the months that we're at home.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Right, Yeah, nice and yeah and so there. Now you're
thinking we're going to probably have to get a boat
in the US at some point.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
All right, we'll deal with that when it comes.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
We'll talk about that. Any benefactor's listening looking to provide
a boat, please please please do. The message goes now
speaking of that, how do people find out more about
you guys and give you money and stuff like that
in boats? So what's what are all your socials? I'll
put them on there, I'll put them on the yard
on all the information as well, but just give them to.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
US now, so we have the same handle for all
of our social media. It's just Harding Will Want Sailing.
We're on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and we also have an
Australian Sports Foundation page which is linked in our Instagram profile.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
So everything's there. Everything's at Harding Will Night, yep, everywhere,
And you do guys do a great job too. By
the way, I really loving what you're doing on your
socials and I think you're ramping that up. You're doing
more on your socials this year, trying to Yeah, it
seems like you are. No, it seems like you only
just have to the bottom line. Bottom line is I
tell people, you know, if you're in business or doing
(32:58):
what you guys are, which essentially is a busy because
you've got to fund this thing, you're basically immediate production
house as well. Yeah, and that's it's just and it's
it's a real mind shift to think about that and
so grab that opportunity. So I love what you're doing
on the story is just the capturing behind the scenes
stuff is really cool. So I think you just got
to do that because that's part of part of what
you do these days is part of differentiation. Not everyone
(33:19):
can do it. A lot of people hate it and
I think it's but it is what it is, you know,
you just you just have to do with what you
have to do. Hey, look fantastic. Thanks you for taking
time to have a chat to us today. It's been awesome.
And now you're sailing. So you're back sailing out of Brighton.
For halling you down here for in Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
We're just finishing up. We're still at the lake.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
We've got a couple more days and then I'll drive
everything down, okay, and we'll be down in Melbourne on
and off for like a month.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Right, okay, and then and then it's pack up and
go get over to cold Parma, cold, cold but lovely Palmer.
All right. Well, thanks so much, Laura Awnie for having
a chat today. Really appreciate it and looking forward to
looking at all your results and more importantly your socials.
Thanks for being on the show.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Back. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the It's
All Possible Podcast. You can contact me at Rob at
Robhardner dot com or my website Robharder dot com, or
on LinkedIn. Remember to check out the previous seasons and
episodes of the podcast and the show notes for more
(34:25):
details on this episode's guest. For more inspiration, remember to
check out the All Possibility Players on Spotted By, which
contains a collection upbeat, positive music I use for inspiration
in my live performances. Until next time, live with passion
and a perspective of possibility.
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