Following my performance at the US Sailing qualifier for the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2013 and making the US Sailing Development Team I have spent some time thinking about my next steps and how I can best utilize my time, resources and coaching to get me to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. 
I have decided to focus my efforts on training aggressively on my Viper with the goal of qualifying for the 2014 Youth World Championships and then winning that regatta next July. Sailing on a Viper will increase my opportunity to sail in competitive regattas and to achieve some much needed milestones along the way. The US Sailing qualifier for 2014 will not be a single event as it has been in the past but rather will take place over two events with the first being at the US Sailing Youth Champs in August and the second at the Orange Bowl in December.
It is important to note that I spoke with the US Sailing High Performance Director about this plan last week, but have yet to talk to the US Sailing Multihull coach so this is not yet written in stone but I think it is a solid plan for the moment.
So I am going to find a full-time youth partner (someone that will not turn 18 this year) that wants to win Youth Worlds next summer and is willing to put in the effort to make it happen. There are no gender requirements for Youth Worlds, but my hopes is that if we are able to put together some impressive results and a coordinated training schedule that after we win worlds that we would be well suited to work on Rio as a team, so I am leaning towards finding a girl to sail with. But like I said, I am open to anyone that is willing to commit to winning worlds in 2014 whoever that may be.
March 1-7 US Sailing Team Multihull Practice Miami, Florida
April 12-16 CISA Advanced Youth Clinic Long Beach, California
July 13-19 Viper European Championships France
July 20-27 F16 World Championships Germany
August 2-5 F16 US National Championships Racine, Wisconsin
August 13-17 US Sailing Youth Champs Houston, Texas
October Viper Australian Championships Australia
December US Sailing Orange Bowl Qualifier Miami, Florida
In between those events I will get back on my 4 day per week training on the water schedule, with the possibility of sailing 2 weeks each month in California and 2 weeks on the East Coast depending on whom I end up sailing with. There are also likely to be more US Sailing practices and at least a few trips to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs added into the mix, but those will all just support and enhance my opportunity for winning at these tough regattas ahead.
My goal is to finish on the podium and really win each of these events and then continue to train and compete to win the Youth Worlds in July 2014! I plan on talking with Leandro (my coach) this week and I will get his opinion on this plan and will update you with any changes.
You can keep track of my success along the way HERE!