QUOTABLE: Dark-horsing to the title

“In sabot racing, you only want to think and plan 100 feet forward at a time so that you don’t overwhelm yourself with tactics and anticipation. During the last race of nationals, I was still seven points out of first, so I spent the entire race in my bubble trying to sail rationally and intelligently. It wasn’t until the finish when I looked back and saw my competitors far behind in the fleet. At that moment, after seven years of competing in nationals, it felt like a large weight just got lifted off my shoulders, a feeling composed of relief and content.” – Derek Pickell, 2013 Junior Naples Sabot National Champion, full story