Milena Nikitina – helmswoman the Tenzor Sport crew, together with her team, will take part in the National Sailing League of the 2022 season. On the personal account of the talented yachtswoman already has quite a lot of experience participating in the NSL and a good feeling of the features of the format of this regatta and the level of rivals.
Milena Nikitina: “My acquaintance with the project of the National Sailing League happened in 2017, when, by chance, I got into sailing and I was invited to the team that participated in the premier division of the NSL. In 2018, I was a bowwoman in the Winner Sailing Team. We took the second place in St. Petersburg, the third place in the grand final in Sevastopol, and at the end of the season the team was got the right to go to Top Division. In 2019, I started studying to be a helmswoman and concentrated my efforts on this, so I participated in only a few stages of the NSL. I remember my first experience on the helm very well. It was a stage of the NSL in Kazan in a combined crew assembled spontaneously by the coach of the B-Team Club Artem Basalkin. The weather conditions were difficult, strong gusty and gusty winds. Our crew did not meet the weight standards of this class of boats. As a result, there were also broaching, and bulk on the sign, etc. Regular training and participation in various regattas allowed me to increase the level of skill, and in 2020 I have already spent a full NSL season on helm with the ZigZag team, showing good results: in two stages out of six we took third place, and in the grand final – we won. In 2021, under the team flag of Tenzor Sport, our crew performed at the Sailing Champions League stage in St. Petersburg, where we became fifth.
The National Sailing League is my favorite racing concept. The races are dynamic, short in time, but very intense in emotions and concentration. In good weather and wind, in races with transfers, it is possible to meet with all rivals, which allows you to assess your sports level and understand what needs to be worked on.
On the eve of the first stage in Abrau-Durso, we expect an interesting fight with strong rivals. The water area of Lake Abrau is familiar to us. It is a very picturesque and beautiful place, but the wind conditions there are difficult. The winds come unexpectedly and abruptly, in sets that are important to see and guess with the direction of the maneuver.”