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Michelle Bain decided at the last minute to enter last week's World Masters Games and she's pretty glad she did, coming away with gold in the Laser Radial women's master category.
The reason for Bain's indecison was the fact she also happened to be regatta director. Hours of work were put in behind the scenes in readiness for the event at the Torbay Sailing Club and Bain needed confidence she could put down the pen and clipboard and instead head out on the water as a competitor.
"I had a very good team and a very good management structure in place," she said. "Once it was all fitting into place, everyone was like, 'go out sailing' and I was able to then be an athlete."
Bain put together a very consistent regatta in the Laser Radial fleet, finishing seventh overall behind multiple world champions like Scott Leith, Mark Orams, Richard Blakey and Australian Adam Beashel. She finished outside of the top 10 in the 28-strong fleet only twice across the 10 races - she capsized in one race and made two penalty turns in another - and it also helped her to finish as the top masters female.
Bain was pushed by Carla Holgate, who finished only seven points behind and eighth overall.
"It was really good, close racing and I was really pleased to come away with the win," said Bain, who represented New Zealand in sailing for a decade in the 1980s and 90s. "There were some high calibre sailors at the pointy end of the fleet, with multiple world champions in there, so it was great to be mixing it with them."
Bain now needs to decide whether to enter the world masters in Croatia in September but admits the competitive instincts are never too far away. Firstly, she will take a little time to take a breather after such a busy period.
Not only did Torbay host the World Masters Games but it was also the venue for December's Aon Youth Sailing World Championships, which were organised in only seven months after the late withdrawal of Oman as hosts but were said by World Sailing to have "raised the bar for all future editions of the Youth Worlds".
"The last few months have put Torbay Sailing Club on the world map as a venue," Bain said. "We already had the credentials for putting on a world class event with the youth worlds and the World Masters Games were the icing on the cake. We had people walking away saying it was the best event they had been to and that's fantastic to hear."
As many as 23 gold medals were awarded at the sailing during the World Masters Games across the three classes of boats: Laser standard, Laser Radial and Weta.
The Weta was a successful addition to the competition and many are hopeful it will become a Paralympic class after Paralympians Chris Sharp (eighth overall), Paul Francis (9th) and Andrew May (10th) proved their credentials in the 30-strong fleet. Sharp also collected bronze in the Weta singlehanded grand master category and May won silver in the singlehanded apprentice master.
World Masters Games medal winners (A full list of results can be found here)
Laser Radial women's apprentice master
Suellen Davies (AUS), 1; Kate Grigg (NZL), 2; Natalie Calder (NZL), 3.
Laser Radial women's master
Michelle Bain (NZL), 1; Carla Holgate (NZL), 2; Diane Sissingh (AUS), 3.
Laser Radial women's grand master
Christine Bridge (AUS), 1; Lyndall Patterson (AUS), 2; Isabelle Barbeau (TAH), 3.
Laser Radial women's great grand master
Heather Hourigan (NZL), 1.
Laser Radial men's apprentice master
Phil Wild (NZL), 1; Peter Creak (AUS), 2; Ross Roberts (NZL), 3.
Laser Radial men's master
Scott Leith (NZL), 1; Adam Beashel (AUS), 2; Mark Orams (NZL), 3.
Laser Radial men's grand master
Masrk Kennedy (AUS), 1; Terry Scutcher (GBR), 2; Hamish Atkinson (NZL), 3.
Laser Radial men's great grand master
Robert Lowndes (AUS), 1; Bob Blakey (NZL), 2; Martin Linsley (AUS), 3.
Laser Radial men's great great grand master
Jack Hansen (NZL), 1; Sandy Grigg (NZL), 2; Jim Quinn (NZL), 3.
Laser men's apprentice master
Dan Slater (NZL), 1; Matt Blakey (NZL), 2; Anthony Merrington (AUS), 3.
Laser men's master
Giles Grigg (NZL), 1; Rohan Lord (NZL), 2; Peter Hurley (USA), 3.
Laser men's grand master
Tim Law (GBR), 1; Murray Thom (NZL), 2; Mark Oliver (NZL), 3.
Laser men's great grand master
Mark Bethwaite (AUS), 1; John Pitman (NZL), 2; John Robertson (AUS), 3.
Weta singlehanded men's apprentice master
Peter Martin (AUS), 1; ndrew May (NZL), 2; Pavol Michalec (CHN), 3.
Weta singlehanded men's master
Jon Bilger (NZL), 1; David Kennett (NZL), 2; John Cobb (NZL), 3.
Weta singlehanded men's grand master
Martin Cross (AUS), 1; Rod Waterhouse (AUS), 2; Chris Sharp (NZL), 3.
Weta singlehanded men's great grand master
Rex Sellers (NZL), 1; Mamoru Aoki (JPN), 2; John McCormick (AUS), 3.
Weta doublehanded men's apprentice master
Craig Wilson and David Martin (NZL), 1.
Weta doublehanded men's grand master
Terry McDell and Kim McDell (NZL), 1; Tony Rae and Murray Rae (NZL), 2; Charles Simpson and Charles Simpson (NZL), 3.
Weta doublehanded mixed master
Brent Gribble and Sarinan Gribble (NZL), 1; Arne Johansson and Zofie Vavra (SWE), 2; Andrew Boyes and Faye Boyes (AUS), 3.
Weta doublehanded mixed grand master
Alan Taylor and Stephanie De Lair (USA), 1; Simon Boys and Marjorie Boys (NZL), 2; Steve Procter and Charlie Procter (NZL), 3
Weta doublehanded mixed great grand master
Tony Sadler and Beryl Morris (AUS), 1; Michael Lanigan and Sheryl Lanigan (NZL), 2; Colin Upchurch and Cynthia Upchurch (NZL), 3.
