2024 has been a busy year for 24-year-old Charlotte Rose campaigning the ILCA 6. While she missed out on an Olympic berth (it went to Erika Reineke), Rose took all she could from the experience and is folding that into her game plan for LA2028. Recapping her recent successes, Rose took silver in the 2024 World Championship, bronze in the 2024 US Olympic trials, and gold at the 2024 French Olympic Week, impressive results which position her well for her next moves.
Reflecting on her observations of the summer Olympic Games, Rose was mostly interested in what was going on behind the scenes and the mental approach sailors needed to get through the racing in Marseille.
“There wasn’t much watching but a lot of waiting because there wasn’t a lot of wind and it was interesting to home in on not so much the sailing part but the athletes’ mentality and behind the scenes,” says Rose. “The Olympics seem like a massive show put on by NBC every four years and it highlighted for me a lot of things that we will not usually experience at a regular regatta like the race course and format of racing being changed to suit the broadcasting; the Lasers would usually do outers or inners yet they were sailing windward leewards twice around which is not a usual track for the class. There seemed to be a lot of distractions that were hard to control; helicopters above, cameras on the boats, and sailors whose events were after the start of racing couldn’t get out onto the course to continue to practice. What I took away from all of that and what I really want to work on is paying attention to myself and if there is noise, knowing I can deal with it so it just becomes a small annoyance over time; minimize the noise and do everything in my power to manage that which I can control.”
Rose is taking some much-needed time out partly because there are not a lot of high level regattas post Games and also just to take a break. She is putting energy into planning things she would like to do differently as she moves into her second Olympic quad; working on budgets and raising money are on that list. She notes that she didn’t have the kind of preparation going into Paris 2024 that she better understands now is crucial.
“Four years seems like a long way but I’m excited to make sure that all the pieces I wasn’t able to set in stone during the last quad are in place,” says Rose. “I came from college onto the circuit – I had just two years, and it was like, go, go, go all the way to the end. I didn’t really have any preparation beforehand; most of it was knowing I didn’t have any money to do it, I didn’t know how to campaign or do sponsorships or go fundraising. I’m building that foundation, making sure I have everything that I need and want to get out of this quad. Obviously, things won’t go super-smooth, there will be bumps, but most of it I will feel good about, and while nothing is for sure, I’ll be able to fall back on plans I am making now.”
Asked whether it was a positive or negative to have missed out on Paris 2024, Rose thought for a few moments.
“That’s a good question, I guess yes and no,” smiles Rose. “So much was compromised for the sailors and all athletes, the media was crazy, there were issues with food for the athletes, some countries including the US brought their own air conditioning units because the organizers didn’t provide A/C in the athletes’ accommodations but at the same time, it was interesting to learn from Marit Bouwmeester and how she uses data on the racecourse, which I have not really been doing.”
Bouwmeester, the most decorated female Olympic sailor with four medals across her career, has been an important influence on Rose’s sailing career. Rose sailed with Bouwmeester the past three summers and was impressed how the Dutch sailor separated herself from the noise during the Games.
“Sailing is such a dynamic sport that you don’t really know what is going to happen, but Marit blocked out the noise and stuck with the routine during the racing,” says Rose. “Marseille was a left-hand racecourse if you look at the trackers. Maybe some right would come in and those were the lucky people. So, it was 80% the left would work and 20% the right would work; Marit was going with the higher percentage move even if she rounded 14 or 15 because that is still a great score to have. She had all that data and the confidence to go with it. It worked for her, and I don’t think she got worse than a 15th which is an amazing score to have at the Games. I haven’t been keeping track of data or numbers, I kind of know what is likely to happen but one of things that I really want to change in the next quad is keeping track. I was in Long Beach for ten days this summer and kept tracked of all the days – the wind direction, wind strength, the trends etc., so that I can build a toolbox; during the Games, I will have all the data re what is most likely to happen and I’ll be able to play off the higher percentages.”
Rose has enjoyed working with coach Alex Saldanha whom she’s had great results with; going forward, she’s all for building a team to help her
achieve her goals.
“I don’t think a one coach approach is one I will stick with for four years, it will be a team effort – the more people I have in my circle the better,” says Rose. “There is not necessarily one person out there who is super technical, super good on speed, really good on race coaching, and you never know, I may need a match race coach if we have domestic trials again. This time around it will be a big team effort which I am really excited about and I’m already excited about the support that is coming through behind the scenes.”
Meanwhile, on her time out, Rose is spending her spare time with family which she doesn’t get too much during a campaign, and becoming excited about Long Beach and LA2028.
“I got burned out over the summer trying to continue sailing and pushing so hard so it’s nice to be taking it easy for now,” says Rose. “My day to day focus is on fitness, I started with a trainer here in Houston which I really enjoy. I hope to start spending more time in Long Beach from now on, especially over the summers. Long Beach, Calif., as a venue is beautiful, it will be so much nicer (than Marseille). I’m excited about the next four years. Really excited!”
Charlotte Rose is a grantee of the St Francis Sailing Foundation: https://www.charlotterosesailing24.com/
Images: Courtesy Lexi Pline/US Sailing
The largest contribution to the Foundation came from the estate of member and Staff Commodore Tom Allen in his trust. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the St. Francis Sailing Foundation in your will or trust. If you or your attorney needs information, call Treasurer Greg Meagher at 510-541-2543.