_{Image by Dan Nerney/Rolex.}

 

NT: Since leaving University I have been able to focus all my attention on my sailing. It was therefore important for me to get some long productive hours on the water and Florida was the ideal base to do this. Sailing out of Clearwater, Ft Laurderdale and Miami gave me a perfect mix of conditions; whilst using Brad Funk, James Espey and Paige Railey as training partners kept me on my toes whilst still having great fun. A typical days training would include a early morning two hour bike ride, three hour sail and an evening weight session.

OR: Why did you choose Brad as a training partner? Who do you now believe is the better Laser sailor at the moment?

NT: Brad was great as a training partner as he has a lot of experience, great boat speed and has a great outlook on life. He is alway keen to try new ideas on the water, which would often lead to some interesting exploits, such as hiking off a balance ball in our Lasers and foiling  
moth sailing for co-ordination and balance. Currently I have been able to place higher in regattas than Brad with 2 World Cup wins in Miami and Palma and wins in the Caribbean Mid Winters and Mid winters East regatta in Clearwater. However Brad has a few areas which he can develop and I'm sure we will be seeing him at the top again soon; which just goes to show you that it dosn't matter how long you have been sailing Lasers there is still room for improvement.

NT: Starting off the Season with a win in Miami and then following it up with a win in Palma was very important to me. This year is all about proving myself as a force at the top of the fleet, therefore it could not be a better start. The highlights for both regattas was my ability to stay reasonably consistent whilst my competitors struggled in the tough conditions that both events gave us.

OR: You will be back in the UK this month for the Laser Q event in Lowestoft. How will you be preparing for that event and what are your expectations?

NT: The Laser National Qualifiers are about qualification for the World and European Championships, this year to be held in Canada and Sweden. For me these events are only about placing high enough to gain selection, and therefore my preparation is not too important. I do however struggle as most of my winter sailing has been in warmer weather so the UK climate hits me hard at first.

OR: What do you regard as your greatest Laser sailing achievement so far? Tell us about your programme for the rest of this season? What are the key goals from a results point of view?

NT: My greatest Laser achievement to date has to be winning the ISAF Youth World Championships and the recent back to back wins at the ISAF world cup events. The rest of the year will be very busy for me as I will be competing at all of the remaining ISAF World Cup events (Hyeres, Delta Lloyd Regatta, Kiel Week and Sail For Gold) as well as the European and World Championships. My main goal is to place in the top 3 at all, however I’m sure that this will be adjusted slightly later in the season so that my peak can be attained at the Worlds.

OR: You are a major contender for an UK Olympic place in 2012 in Weymouth. Do you feel any pressure from that? What areas of your performance do you believe you need to improve on to secure the British Olympic berth at the next Games?

NT: Olympic selection is not at the forefront of my focus at the moment, so therefore the pressure is not high at all; however as time flies past I'm sure this will change. My aim at the moment is to become the best in the world, with a win at the world championship within the next 2 years. I am looking for an all round improvement, with the main aim of becoming slightly quicker downwind allowing for more passing opportunities.

OR: What is your relationship like with Paul Goodison? What do you believe are his strengths? How do you rate yourself against him right now?  Who else do you regard as a competitor for the 2012 Olympic place?

NT: The relationship between Paul and I is good. I worked as his training partner in the run up to the Beijing Olympics and was very happy to see him bring home the Gold. There will of corse be tough times, as to be expected when competing against one another, however his focus will be just the same as mine looking at improving internationally as apposed to against me. Currently Paul is the Olympic Champion, so he is in effect the bar that I have to beat, that said the game only gets harder and to win Gold four years from now will take an even higher performance; one which I aim to reach. At present Paul and I are a fair way ahead of the other Brits in terms of the level needed to attain the spot; that said, four year is a long time and we have a lot of talent within our team, so I wouldn't be  surprised to see more guys emerging later.

OR: Tell us about your relationship with your coach Chris Gowers? What does he bring to your campaign?

NT: Chris Gowers is a very experienced and very talented coach. His ability to relate to my sailing and spot subtle differences is impeccable, this gives me the confidence to back my own decisions, whilst helping me to keep my cool and have fun. Off the water he is great fun to have around and his wit continues to keep me amused.

OR: What ‘non-Laser’ sailing are you doing/planning to do this year?

NT: I currently have no other sailing planned, my Olympic campaign takes up the majority of my time; however I am very keen to get a little more involved in the yacht scene so if any one is interested please get in touch.

OR: What do you believe your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a Laser sailor?

NT: I think my greatest assets as a Laser Sailor are my natural feel for sailing, my fitness and my drive. My weaknesses can at times be overtraining.

OR:  What attracted you to the Laser in the first place? Why do you believe you have been successful? What advice do you have for young(er) sailors who want to follow in your footsteps?

NT: Choosing the Laser was easy for me as it is a single handed class, with a strict one design principle, thus proving close and extremely tough racing. At present I believe it to be regarded as the toughest class in the world due to the amount and depth of talent.

The biggest piece of advice for up and coming sailors is to enjoy your training and race as you train.