Special website during the Games
Rules of Swiss Olympic about advertising during the olympic games are very strict. Therefore you can follow my adventures in Qingdao on my new blog from now untill the end of the games. Unfortunately, this blog will exclusively be in in French. But fill free to post coments in english, german, chinese or whatever !

www.nathaliebrugger.blogspot.com

About to go...
Two days before the BIG start to Qingdao, everything's ready. My Swiss Olympic clothes are packed and labeled with a little "Nat" ... just like when I went to school camp when I was a little kid. 82 swiss athletes are qualified ... all having the same clothes. We will for sure mix our socks :-). 
During the last three weeks, I did a lot of swimming, cycling and running. Of course, I worked hard with Loic, my physical trainer. I feel good and ready! I leave on monday 28 of July, meeting with some of the other swiss athletes at 9am in Zurich airport!

20.7.08
Nat on TV, TSR DIMANCHE SPORT
If you missed the TV program "Dimanche sport" on TSR the 20th of July, click here and you can see it again on streaming!

17.06-7.07.2008
Training in China
New pictures from China and from the sponsors day, Check it out!

3.7.08:
They are building a fence...
The Chineses are trying to figure out something against all this seaweeds on the Olympic sailing area. And they are now builind a fence and putting a net all around. Unbelievable. We will see very quickly if that was THE solution. 
I'm folowing my training schedule. After a day off the 1st of July, i continue my training with Sarah Blanck or sometimes alone. I'v got now 3 days left before i come back to Switzerland. I'v been able to profit 100% of my days here to study the olympic sailing area.

29.6.08:
Already 10 days of sailing...
Yeah, time is going really fast but everyday i feel more and more confident and that's the most important. My training partner Sarah Blanck from Australia arrived 4 days ago and we are doing good training together. But the wind is not very strong. In average, we'v been sailing in 3-6knts with lot of courant and only twice the wind picked up til 12knts. On the other hand, the seaweeds are still here..and are growing everyday, crazy. A good article has been written those last days and you can read it on:
http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=MTIwMzk4NA==
Our team leader Tom Rüegge has joined us in China and, in 1 day, he transformed our container in a "little house", ready for the Olympics. There is a cold area at the back with tables, computers and sofa. End at the front, we'v got space to put our stuff, personal boxes, a big fridge, tools... yes, we are ready to fight at the Games!!!!

Youhhhou, a bit of sun...
Today, I've seen the sun for the first time in China...unbelievable! No smog, no rain..even some wind! We've done a really good training in 5-10knts (yeah i'v been hiking for at least 15minutes), smale waves and still a 30m per minutes of courant. Interesting! 
Those last days, we had similar conditions as last year. Long waves, 0-5knts, bad visibility and a lot of courant! We must add now tones of seaweeds everywhere, that Chineses people are trying to take out of the water everyday... and we have more and more each day..crazy!

So much smog!!!
After a long but confortable fly, i'm now in China for 3 weeks. The container has been stock at the boarder and was not there on time. I had no laser and no coach boat for Didier, but i found easily a solution. Efi, a GRE friend of mine, lent me a boat and we could train together. Since the begining, we'v got so much smog everywhere. We couldn't see more than 50m away. Crazy! When we go out, we must have a GPS with us, otherwise we never find the harbour again. (and that's not only a rumeur...we confirmed it..) For sure, we can't do as much as we want on the water, because we don't see marks... quite funny!
I'm leaving today for my last training session: 3 weeks on the Olympic sailing area. 
I will be sailing a bit alone at the begining, to find again the technic in those difficult conditions, light wind, waves and strong courant. Then, i will train with the Australian Sarah Blanck.


9-13.06.2008
Training in Scheveringen NED
I'm back in Hollande to train in the strong courants. With the 2 other dutch girls, we are sailing 3-4 hours per day, to get use to the waves and courant we will have in China. The sailing conditions are wonderful, sunny, 6-16knts, a bit to much wind for Qingdao, but good for my legs...

21-25.05.2008
World Cup Medemblick NED
3 horrible days of qualifications: I came on my new boat without testing it before...and that was a big mistake. I'v never found the fellings i had on my australien boat before. I had no speed upwind and niether downwind. Even if i had super good start, i'v never been in the top ten at the first mark...wha'ts going on?!?! So i will sail in the silver fleet tomorow ( first time this season) It's quite hard after a 4th place at the last world cup in Hyères. But i think it's gonna give me more energy for my next training session and i will come back at the Games even stronger...

Last Worldcup for me before the Olympics. 80 girls from 30 nations came in Medemblick in Holland to race. All the girls who are going tho Games are gonna be racing here, even this year World Champion Sarah Stayert and the German Petra Nieman. This regatta will be a training for me and we gonna do our last work on some specific targets. For this as well, i'v got a new UK boat, which is the same for the Olympics...good for the feelings. 
The regatta website: http://www.deltalloydregatta.org/2008v2/

14th at the WORLD ISAF RANKING
The new rankings have been published this week. I won 8 places and i'm now 14th. 
"Nathalie BRUGGER (SUI) is the big mover in the top 20, with the 22 year old Swiss skipper posting a best-ever ISAF Grade 1 finish of fourth in  France . Not only does this boost her eight places up the Rankings to a career-high of #14, but also looks set to guarantee her selection to the Swiss Olympic team for  Beijing" written on the ISAF website.

SWISS OLYMPIC SAYS YES !!!
Cool, my coach called me yesterday to tell me a good news... i'm officialy selected at the olympic games. Ouhouhou, great! The swiss olympic sailing team will have 9 athletes: the Star guys, 470 gilrs, 470 boys, 1 windsurfer, 1 Laser man and me. I'm looking forward, it's gonna be great experience... and thanks to all of you for helping me during those 3 years of preparation!

MY NEW BEAUTIFUL AUSTRALIEN LASER IS DEAD...

He didnt have time to celebrate his great 4th place at the French olympic week..so sad. My beautiful laser which sailed so good in Australia (4th and 7th at the Worldcup) has been kicked out of the trailer by a old women who was sleeping on the motorway. And now, he's got a broken nose and an open belly...but he had a wonderful (short) life!

TRAINING IN MONACO, 29 APRIL- 5 MAY 08
I'v been at home just this weekend, to load the container for China. We put as much thinks we could and it's gona leave today, for the olympics marina in Quindao. I will drive this Monday to Monaco, to train with Sarah Blanck AUS and Marit Boowmester NED. Goals: training in the light wind and waves...like the Games!

FRENCH OLYMPIC WEEK (SOF), 19-25 APRIL 08

Medal race in 4-6knts: Really hard for the nerves. After this smale race, I could be 3rd or 7th. 2min before the start, the NZL girl came to me and did a match race (duel between 2 boats). Because of this, i could do the strategy i hadad start and had to go to the right. I fight a lot during 30min, with lot of stress and end up 7th at the medal race. I doesnt change anything at the overall results, i'm still 4th out of 78 girls, behind the AUS, USA and BEL... a really good performance, especially the year of the olympics!!! Tous les résultats sur: http://sof.ffvoile.net/results/laserr.htm

Day 5: Last day of the finals. We wait a lot to get a bit of wind. We sail in light seabreaze 4-7knts and unpredictable. I did a wonderful start and controle all the fleet on the right side. First with the NZL, we could not expect that the wind shift 40° to the left. I still did a good 9th. Tonight, i'm 4th overall, before the medal race tomorow (a 30min race which count double, with only the 10 first).

Day 4: We sailed our first day of the finals in lighter and shifty wind. We started the first race in 7 knts, incrising to 15knts. I did 11th. Then the wind shift 180° and came from East 12knts. I did a good 5th. Overall, i'm 5th out of 78. 

After 3 days, end of the qualifications:
Great start for me! i'm 4th overall, after 4 races. We had strong East wind for the first day and after mistral...even too much today. 30-35 knts , was crazy. We went out for 1hour but could sail without capzising. all the results on http://sof.ffvoile.net/results/laserr.htm

I'v just spent 1 week training in Hyères, with my coach. It has been really windy over here: mistral 25-30knts, or East wind 20 knts and as well no wind! I had to stop training after 3 days already because of a big backpain. My physio came overe to take care of me so hopfuly i can start the regatta tomorow sunday. The weaterforcasts look quite windy...normal for the "SOF"!

LITTLE BREAK AT HOME...
After 6 weeks in New Zealand, i'm back home for a break...soooooooooo good. I should have sail the Europacup in Lugano, but i'v to take care of my inflamations on the 2 for-arms. Yeah, i'v done a lot those few weeks and my body need to recover.
Next big regatta is the Olympic Week in south of France, 20-25 of April. It's gonna be the last olympic trials for the Swiss Team. After this date, the team will be known!

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, TAKAPUNA NZL, 15-20 MARCH 08 

Day 6: 2 races
An other day with a crazy wind. i did a good race of 17th at the first one, with a bad stat. I caught up all the time. That's very positiv. The second one, i was in the 20, but second upwind, i lost a lot with a big shift of 30°. I would have been 14th overall, but i lost this 7 boats and finish this championship 18th out of 116boats and 13th nation. Of course I'm a bit disapointed because i start really really good. But it was a hard championship, even the 2007 Word Champion was in the Silver Fleet, i learned a lot in this crazy condition and i'm glad i'v done again the Swiss Olympic criteria for the Games (top 13 nation). 
The new world champion is Sarah Steyert FRA, 2nd Lisa XU CHN and 3rd Andrea Brewster GBR.

Day 5, 3 races in the finals
Medium wind, 7-12knts, with a LOT of waves ad current. First race, i was top 10 all the regatta, but received a yelow flag from the jury on the last reach (pumping, rocking) and i had to do a 720°. I finished 17th. For the 2 other races, i was just never at the right place at the right time. Was really hard. I had a bad day, i'm 20th now. But still 2 races to sail tomorow!

Day 4, end of the qualifications
We had again lvera light wind today. My strategy was to go right at the first upwind, like a lot of good people. For the first group, the leaders came from the right, so i was not that wrong. I fight 2 minutes at the comite boat and did a great start. With Jo Aleh ( Wolrd n 1) we went the first right. But the wind just turned 40° to the left...and we didnt expect this. So we were almost last at the top mark. The wind drop down, we came back ashore and wait for the wind til 6pm. We sailed a difficult race in 3-5knts. Great, i end up 5th. Overall, after 5 races, i'm 7 out of 116, gold fleet for tomorow!

Day 3
After waiting 3 hours on shore, we sailed a race in light wind, 4-6knt, shifty with current in the face. I started really bad, but recovered and pass the 1st mark 9th. Second upwind, i didnt go enought to the right, and just at the end, a smale group passed me thanks to a gust. I finish 14th and i'm now 5th overall, after 3 race and no discard. Because we didnt finish the qualifications, the comite decide to start at 10am tomorow, with 3 races schedulded.

Day 2
The south wind was here today blowing between 20-25knts for the first race and decreesing to 18 for the second one. We sailed 2 long races, 1hour10min each, with the courant pushing us up. I start this championship really well, with the races 7th and 5th. I caught up places every downwind and my speed was good upwind. Overall after 2 races, I'm 9th ou of 116. 
Tomorow, last day of the qualification, we should do 3 races.

Day 1
No race. The wind was quite good 15-18knt still 20 minutes before the start, then it turned a bit and died completly. After 7 hours waiting on the water, the race comitee sent us back on shore.

After 1 week with light wind, the weatherforcast for the 2 first days of the Worlds is 30 knts (lot of wind!!). 116 girls from 50 countries are gonna sail in Auckland bay since tomorow, saturday at 11am.

TRAINING IN TAKAPUNA, NZL, 21 FEB-14 MARCH 08
After the "warm up" regatta in Auckland, i moved to Takapuna, on the other side of the Bay, to train on the area of the World Championship. My trainer, Dider Charvet arrived few days ago and we 'v started to work together like in Melbourne. I'm sailing sometimes alone, to work on special technic, or i join some groups to train the start or to do smale regattas. Everyday after sailing, i go to the gym and follow the program we'v prepared in Switzerland with my physical trainer. I word as well on the mental stuff with Dider, who knows a lot about this..
Last weekend, we couldnt sail because of a really big storm, rain and wind up to 50knts... so no sailing for 2 days, but a positif point: i had time to visit some museums in Auckland city....yeah, it dosnt' happen every day :-)

SAIL AUCKLAND, NZ, 16-19 FEBRUARY 08
Day1-4: This regatta was a windy one: everyday full hiking with 15-20knts...quite hard just after 30 hours in the plane. But i started quite well, and i'v done good races like 8th and 4th on the first day. Second day, after beeing 5th, i broke my hiking strapes and fall down in the water..great, so i couldnt finish the race. After that, 2 good races 6th and 7th and a bad OCS...the 3rd day was the hardest one. Gusts were coming down the harbour very quikly, and if you didnt take he first one, you were out of phases... i sailed quite bad and drop down from 7th to 15th overall. The 4th day was the funniest one. We started the race in 5 knts, i was top 8 all the time, then, at the second upwind, the wind drop down, turn 180degres, and came back from behind...yeah, all the first girls end up last. And they didnt cancel the race... so, overall, i finish 18 out of 48 girls ( with an OCS counting) , far away from the girls I'm use to be with. 

Still having the jetlag (quite hard those 12 hours more....) I will start tomorow the Sail Auckland regatta,, which is a grade 1 event. 
All information and results on : https://nzl.regatta-manager.com/Regatta/RegattaResults.do

WELL ARRIVED IN NEW ZEALAND 

I'm just arrived in this magnificant country. But for the moment, the weatherforcast was quite bad. I'm training for the SailAuckland which start this Saturday. 45 girls from 18 nations are gonna sail this regatta, with the top 15 girls in the world.

LITTLE STUDY BREAK
I came back home for 3 weeks to relax. I've done quite a few hard gym sessions with my physical trainer and i studied a lot. I'm done now with my 4 university exams. I'm paking my bags again, and will leave the 10th for 6 weeks in New-Zeland. I've never been there, i'm looking forward...

SAIL MELBOURNE, 14-19 JANUARY 08
Overall results: 
1st: S.Blanck AUS, 2nd S.Multala FIN, 3rd J. Aleh NZL, 4th T. Elias Calex MEX, 5th L.XU CHN, 6th L.Bladwin GBR, 7th N.BRUGGER SUI, 8th V.Fanclova CZE, 9th A.TUNNICLIFFE USA, 10th K.SZOTYNSKA POL.

Day 5:
Yeah i did it!
Today, it was much harder for the seabease to appear. We could sail only one regata in 10-12knts with choppy waves again. Finishing 10th, i stay 8th overall, and will be able to sail the Medal Race (only top 10 boats) on saturday. 
Yeah, i'm the first Swiss who has done the critera from Swiss Olympic for a qualification to the Olympic Games.. that means fro me a really big step further to Bejing 08!

Day 4:
Only one day left, i was too stressed today and couldnt' sail "free"...i was to much on the defence! I've done 12 and 8 but for this i fight a lot, for each place all the time. We sailed the 2nd race in 20-21knts and always with big waves. I'm still 8th overall. Tomorow i will give everything i have left, the points are very closed! 
And as u know, this regatta is for me a selection for the Olympic Games...i have to stay in the top-10!

Day 3:

18knts for the 1st race. I did a great start again and control the fleet. The wind was quite shifty. I passed the first mark 2nd, just in front the Chinese world champion 2006. I was as quick as her on the downwind, great! In the second race, i wass really tired and couldnt hike as much as before. The wind encrease to 22knts...i missed power! I stay 8th overall

Day 2:

The sea breeze arrived quite late today and was not that strong, 10-14knts and very shifty. I was not really quick upwind in the choppy waves and i could stay with the first girls. I did as well few tactical mistakes, which doesnt help! But a positif point was my 2 excellent starts. 
With this 2 races of 15th and 10th, i'm now 8th overall. 

Day 1:
The first day of the championship was physically really hard with a wind between 18-21knts and huge waves. I fight for each meter and had a good speed upwind and great feelings downwind. We worked a lot on the downwind during the training with Didier and it paied! With 2 good races 5th and 7th, i'm 5th overall. Now i will take some time to do a good recuparation, so i will be as fit for tomorow! 
All results on: http://www.yachting.org.au/site/yachting/event/6997/Overall_9_1.html

It's officiel! Sail Melbourne is gona be a selection regatta for the Olympic Games. I have to finish top 10 nations, which means almost top 10 ranking. Yeah, go go go Nat'!!!

Last day of training:
OUahhhh 30-35knts today for my last training day, was cool. I did big surfs on the waves but as well nice capsizing. héhéhé. Now i've got 2 days off to relax before starting the regatta on Monday, the 14th. 

Didier Charvet, my trainer for this year, arrived the 7th of january for my 2 last weeks in Australia. We trained about 3 hours per day to improve the technique and to discover this new sailing area. The water is really not deap and that makes choppy waves, hard to pass. We v got seabreaze every day between 15-25knts, a really physical training. We are working a lot on the mental preparation and i still do my fitness, following the programm i v done with my physical trainer in Switzerland.
And when i'v got time left, i study for my exam's session in February...hard!

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP: A GOOD 4TH PLACE! Hi everyone, sorry for the late update, i had no internet connexion this last 2 weeks that's why i couldn't give you any news. Now i can... 
I recived my new australian boatfor this season 2008, a really nice one! I got use to it and after 3 days of training in Blaigrowie, next to Melbourne, i started the australian championship. 120 Laser Radials from 11 countries sailed this wonderful event. We had great wind, 4 days with 16-22knts and 2 days with 7-12knts..and with this, sun and 30-40degres. ouah, perfect for training! 
I've been very constant for the all qualifications with places: 6, 3, 3, 4, 4, 2, 5, 3 in groupe of 60. It was a bit harder in the finals with 12, 12, 10 and 5, but i fight for evera little place and at the end it payed. I finished 4th, 9 points ahead on the 5th girl.
The results: 1. Blanck AUS, 2. Aleh NZL, 3. Fenclova CZE, 4. Brugger SUI, 5. Bouwmeester NED, 6. Vickers GBR, then 15. Meyer SUI , out of 120 girls. All results on: 
http://www.yachting.org.au/site/yachting/event/13897/overall_2_3.html
I'm very satisfied with this 4th place, in front of big nation like GBR and NED. Now 2 days off before starting training again and doing the first qualification regatta for the Games!