Behind the scenes of the French Sailing Team’s performances hides a meticulous and passionate work of experts such as David Lanier, the team’s meteorologist. At the Paris Olympic Games, he played a crucial role in optimizing the sailors’ strategies through the use of Adrena. We had the opportunity to talk to him about his background, his role within the French Sailing Federation (FFVoile), and his use of Adrena tools to maximize team performance.
Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your role within the FFVoile? How long have you been working for the federation?
I’ve been an executive with the French Sailing Federation since 1993, when I started out as a coach after having been a French team athlete on the 470. From 2004/2005, I specialized in meteorology and the study of water features. My first campaign as a meteorologist for the French teams goes back to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Currently, I devote most of my time analyzing international competition waters and providing weather forecasts for the championships in which the French teams take part. Each year, this means monitoring around ten European and world championships for the 10 Olympic series.
What was your day-to-day life like at the Paris Olympic Games in Marseille?
The sailing competitions were held on the Marseille waterfront. My work began long before the event, with four years of preparation during which I observed and measured the water surface to understand its specific features. This enabled us to create tools to help athletes and coaches understand the conditions.
A typical day would start very early, around 5:30 or 6:00 am, to collect and analyze weather information.
I would then present my analyses to the athletes and coaches at around 8:00 am, in individual briefs. Some came to see me at breakfast in the morning, others more formally a little later.
The requests varied according to the series, whether it was Kite, 470, 49ER or Nacra.
From midday onwards, the athletes took to the water, while I continued to observe the race course and update the forecasts to alert the teams if necessary.
At the end of the day, I carried out a full debriefing of the day.
You used Adrena’s GRIB workshop function during the Olympic Games. Can you explain what it is and how you used it?
GRIB workshop is particularly well-suited to micrometeorology, which is crucial for me since I analyze conditions in specific areas such as Marseille’s southern roadstead. The advantage of this function is that, starting from a GRIB file which is not very precise in terms of site effects, the GRIB workshop really allows you to go into detail and feature site effects with great precision. We can refine a site effect within 10 / 15 meters, near a dyke, near a relief, near a cape… to obtain a fairly faithful representation of reality.
How do athletes use this information to improve their performance?
In my approach, if I make a forecast with a wind direction close to the 230, for example, for the start time of the run, the athlete will pick-up the 230° GRIB that has been manufactured with Adrena’s GRIB workshop. He will choose this direction and then look at what particular sites effects occuring on this direction.
How much time do you spend on Adrena software during Olympic events?
It’s hard to quantify precisely, but Adrena is constantly open on my computer. I go to it regularly throughout the day, whether to consult the analysis charts or the available GRIB files. I use it both for my personal needs and to present data to trainers or coaches.
Do you use other Adrena functions regularly?
Yes, I often use the routing on layline function. This function allows us to quantify, based on a weather situation, the time gained by starting out on the right versus the time gained by starting out on the left. We add a current file and then perform a routing with the current. We can determine the wind/current gain, and Adrena is very precise in quantifying this.
Is the result reliable?
The result is correct if the current file is correct and the weather file is also correct. In any case, the Adrena tool is precise enough to give us a very relevant result.
After that, it’s up to me to analyze the files.
Do you have a memorable anecdote from the Olympics?
One of the most memorable moments for me was all of the media present in Marseille. We’re not used to so much press and so many interviews. Even at a distance from the Olympic Village we felt the effect of the Olympic Games at home. It created a unique atmosphere, different from what we usually experience at competition venues.
Do you use Adrena for other events?
During the America’s Cup, I was commissioned by the French Sailing Federation to help the French team with all aspects of the weather, and of course I used Adrena. The software allows me to download weather files easily, and I made particular use of the routing on layline function. The America’s Cup takes place over a short 20-minute race with three round trips, and boundary zones to the left and right. This function enabled me to analyze and determine trends to the left or right, quantifying the number of tacks and gybes required on the race. Presenting this information to the sailors before the event helps to clarify strategies, even if they’re already performing well. This little preparatory work with Adrena really helps us to better anticipate the races.
Adrena and the French Sailing Federation
For over 10 years, Adrena has been accompanying the French Sailing Federation and the French team staff in their preparation.
This year, the French team achieved some great performances. At the Olympic Games, Charline Picon and Sarah Steyaert won a bronze medal in the 49er FX, and Lauriane Nolot took a silver one in the women’s kite. At the World Championships, Clément Pequin and Erwan Fischer became world champions in the 49er, and Lauriane Nolot also won a gold medal in the women’s Kite, with Jessie Kampman in bronze. At the European Championships, France added 2 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals to its record of achievements.