Windsurfing: Veerle ten Have gets job done at World Championships

Tauranga's Veerle Ten have in action at the RS:X World Championships in Sorrento, Australia. Photo / Sailing Energy/World Sailing

When New Zealand competes at the Tokyo Olympics in windsurfing you can thank Tauranga's Veerle ten Have for one of those spots.

The 19-year-old says competing at the Olympic Games would be a dream come true and while the future of the event is up in the air amid the Covid-19 crisis, she has done all she can so far.

Last month, competing at the RS:X World Championships in Sorrento, Australia, ten Have proved she can cut it with the best, producing finishes of third, second and sixth on the second day of racing.

She finished mid fleet in the rest of the racing to finish 26th overall out of a fleet of 46, and was second in the under-21 division.

More importantly, her overall placement was the best of the Oceania women competing, qualifying a women's spot in the class for New Zealand at this year's Tokyo Olympics.

The result does not guarantee a spot for ten Have at the Olympics, that comes down to the New Zealand selection committee, but she said her results were "a good confidence boost".

"I was pretty happy, not very consistent but overall I was happy with what I achieved. I was stoked to qualify the spot for New Zealand, that was my goal going into it.

"[Day two] was a good day, the weather was definitely in my favour - windy with flat water. That's just my strength, what I'm suited to and what I feel confident and comfortable in. I just really nailed my starts in those races and once I had a good start I could boost out and get it done."

She said tactics, timing and strategy were crucial components of the sport.

"After a good start I just try to focus on my own speed and getting away from everyone else. Once you have gotten away from the pack, you focus more on the people around you, staying in front of them and covering them.

"There's definitely lots of strategy involved, the wind is always changing direction and the strength and the waves - you have to make sure you're between your competitors and where you need to go."

Looking ahead, the rest of her year is filled with uncertainty as measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 have shut down any opportunities to race overseas and put the 2020 Olympic Games themselves in doubt.

Tauranga windsurfer Veerle ten Have is unsure how the rest of her competitive season will pan out amid the Covid-19 crisis but she is staying positive. Photo / File

Ten Have said all she could do was take the opportunity to work on her weaknesses and hope for the best.

"My training hasn't been affected too much but most overseas events have been cancelled. I had my last selection regatta coming up in Parma, which would've been starting next week but that has been cancelled, so has the whole European tour. I'm still waiting to hear how they will make the selections.

"It's a pretty cool goal to have, to go to the Olympics, and if that's achieved it would be cool to represent New Zealand overseas and be able to make everyone who has supported me proud. I am still young so whatever happens there is always 2024 to aim for.

"For now, I just have to keep training, keep pushing. I'm still motivated, there's always new information coming, you never know what could happen. I'm working on improving everything, fitness, skill, everything always needs work."

She said first-hand experience racing was crucial in the sport, so the cancelled events could affect her more than the older athletes, but she was maintaining a positive mindset.

"You have to be able to strategise and be smart on the water, when you're racing, being aware of your surroundings and what everyone else is doing. A lot of that is racing experience so for me [the cancelled events] are quite harsh but I still have lots of other things to work on."