Training on the same water used during the 2012 Olympics must make Daisy Collingridge feel a certain way. Especially as someone whose sights are firmly set on an Olympic appearance of her own.

But while living and training with her fellow British Sailing Team Members and celebrating recent medal success at the Princess Sofia Trophy, she’s clear that a lot has happened to get her where she is today, and a lot more will be needed to get her to Los Angeles.

“Purest” Form of Sailing

The class Collingridge competes in is the ILCA 6, a single-handed female dinghy that has been an Olympic event since 2008. Great Britain has never won a medal in the event, the best result being Alison Young’s fifth place in 2012.

However, as Collingridge attests, it’s one of the most competitive Olympic classes.

“It’s a one-design boat,” she told The 1461. “But you have to be super fit and strong to sail the boat. The harder you work, the faster you will go in a lot of conditions.

“Other classes can do stuff to their boats and their euqipment to improve their speed. For us, it’s genuinely you work harder and the boat speed is there.”

So when you turn up to compete at an Olympics or World Championships, it’s the events who supply the equipment. No cheats, no loopholes, no extra tech – Collingridge says that the ILCA 6 class is one of the “purest” forms of sailing.

“You turn up, and you get given your boat. And it essentially comes down to how well you can sail that boat.

“I think that means that when you do well, you know it’s you. It’s a really special feeling of ‘I’ve achieved this because of me.’ It means it definitely comes with a lot of responsibility and pressure, too. But that’s what makes it so rewarding.”

Success at Princess Sofia

The opening event of the sailing Grand Slam took place earlier this month in Palma, with the Princess Sofia Trophy the start of a five-regatta circuit comprising all 10 Olympic classes.

Collingridge took home a silver medal, narrowly losing out to her close friend and Olympian Eve McMahon from Ireland. The pair are close friends, with the camraderie involved amongst the racers a huge part of the sailing lifestyle.

“People get on incredibly well. A lot of the time, we come off the water on a big, windy day, all exhausted, and that can be quite bonding.

“I think it’s really nice when you can race so hard against somebody on the water. But once you get ashore, it’s a different story. You go for dinner, you stay with each other, you have a joke around and I think that makes it really nice.”

How the Sailing Bug Bit

Collingridge’s first memory of sailing is hiding from the rain as her dad and granddad tackled a storm that came through.

The oldest of four siblings, Collingridge says she was forced “kicking and screaming” into a wetsuit from a young age, heavily influenced by her sailor father.

“It was kind of a rite of passage in our family,” she said. “I was a bit of a daddy’s girl growing up, and my dad was a massive influence. It was always our thing together.

“Nowadays, it’s definitely more emotional support rather than him telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. We’ve crossed that line of him probably recognising that I’m slightly better than he was!”

Collingridge says she’s lucky her whole family is supportive, regardless of how an event has gone.

“When I come home from an event like Princess Sofia where I do really well, or from an event where I’m a bit disappointed, the reaction is completely the same. We go to the pub, have a drink, and chat about how it all went, but there’s no change in how much they support me.

“I know they’re there for me 100%, so I’m very, very lucky to have that.”

A Typical Training Week

When not traveling, Portland is where she spends her time with a classic training week mixing time on the water with meetings, strength and conditioning, physical testing, as well as other appointments and training sessions

“You’re out on the water for three hours a day, launching at 9 o’clock,” she says. “Then when you get in, there’s a big debrief while we go through videos of the session. Then it’s gym or bike in the afternoon, and you probably get home around six o’clock. It’s a full day for sure.”

But the workload doesn’t diminish her love for the sport.

“I love it. I love working hard, so no complaints on my side, and when the weather’s good, it’s pretty easy. It’s a lot harder in the winter when you need to go out in zero degrees – that’s a slightly different story!”

The Focus This Summer: Discipline

Asked if there’s a single word that sums up her approach to a full summer of racing, Collingridge responded: Discipline.

“I’m delighted with how things went at Princess Sofia, and winning that medal puts me in a really good place and shows that I’m on the right path. It’s important to acknowledge that, but I’m massively aware that there’s a long way to go.

“I did a lot of things right last week. I also made a lot of mistakes and the most important thing for me is to learn from the experience.

“Just keeping that end goal in mind and not becoming complacent ever with how things are going. I’m definitely quite critical of myself a lot of the time.

“And I think it’s really important to know that, Yeah, you’ve done well, but it’s not the finished package.”

Find out more about Daisy Collingridge by heading to her website!

Pictures courtesy of Sailing Energy and the British Sailing Team