The Sky is the Limit: Fantela Brothers Preparing for the Sailing Championships

After two years marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, the brothers are finally looking forward to the sailing season and the regattas ahead, especially the European Championships in Aarhus, Denmark from 5th to 10th July and the World Championships from 31st August to 5th September in Halifax, Canada.

They are not hiding their excitement and are enjoying everything that sailing offers, in all the excitement, but also in the preparations, which are extensive and complex.

“Preparations consist of a part on land and at sea. The land preparations consist of conditioning training in the form of strength training, endurance, running, cycling, rowing and gym. The sea part is training in boat driving technique, work on manoeuvres, speed and all other important things”, explained the lads, whom we met before another training at sea in Vitrenjak Bay.

“We are brothers, so we have learned throughout life to be next to each other. We go to morning and afternoon training with gusto and we really enjoy what we do”, Mihovil revealed to us.

And what does their day look like during the preparations? “In the morning at 8 or 9 o'clock we have conditioning training, then an hour or two training with a conditioning coach, Mr Edi Stipić, and in the afternoon we are here around half past noon or 1 p.m. Depending on sea conditions, we sometimes stay until 4 p.m. or even 5 p.m. That sounds a lot to someone. It may be a lot, but it is not difficult”, they told us.

However, they admit that the life of sailors is not easy, because a lot of it consists of sacrifices, especially separation from family.

“The sacrifice is great on both sides, but we are somehow used to it and we are always looking for the ideal balance. But then again, that changes depending on the year. In the pre-Olympic period, it can happen that we spend 200 days a year during preparations and regattas, and then a year after the Olympic Games, we spend more time at home. We are trying and we manage to sort it out”, Šime told us.

“For example, before the Olympics we were in Spain and the Canary Islands. We found good conditions there, because we always try to simulate the situation that awaits us in the competition that we "pick". The last time it was Tokyo, so we went to Lanzarote because there are a lot of waves, which are common for Tokyo.

The next Olympics are in Marseille, and there are of course Mediterranean conditions, so we have to choose the place that is most similar to that. But I hope that we will still be able to train right there in Marseille”, announced Šime.

Both Fantela brothers, like all athletes, take a lot of care of their diet because it is an important element of endurance and strength.

“There is a big focus on proper nutrition, because we are both naturally relatively thin. As soon as we stay longer at sea and get into the grind of training, we start losing weight. Everyone says that it is difficult for them to lose weight, and it is difficult for us to increase it. We have no limits, but, like all athletes, you always want to eat as healthy as possible. You will not eat chips, flips or the like to gain weight, because you will not benefit from it later, you will not have strength”, Mihovil revealed.

“This is a very specific sport because the competitions last five or six days and are a combination of marathons and sprints. In one day, we have three to four hours of regatta, then rest and tomorrow yet again, and five days in a row. Nutrition is really important to keep that energy level high, to endure the last fifth day when medals are awarded, to be at your strongest without "burning out", so that after the second or third day you have no more strength and concentration. There is great focus on that because the days are really long, we depend on the wind, the start can be scheduled for 11 a.m., we arrive at the club as early as 9 and then there is no wind so you sit and wait. By the time you sail the regatta, it is already 6 p.m. Then you make dinner, then you analyse the day and it is already 8 or 9 p.m. So, you are in the programme from eight until eight, and if you did not pay attention to your diet, you lose energy”, the brothers revealed this important detail to us.

No matter what kind of competition it is, Šime and Mihovil prepare for each with the same zeal and intensity with small finesse and adjustments.

“For example, we prepared for Tokyo by doing conditioning training with a lot of clothes on to simulate great heat and humidity in Japan in August. However, the sea part is mostly always the same, we work on elements in which we do not excel and at the same time maintain those in which we are good. The only difference between the European and World Championship is that there can be up to 120 boats at the World Championship and 21 at the Olympics, because only one crew can come from each country. In general, everything else is the same”, they told us.

They are aware of the sacrifices and everything that top sport brings with it. It’s not easy, it separates you from your family, and there is the eternal struggle with money. But they are unanimous in saying that they still love sailing with equal intensity. Motivation to win is also important, as this duo has already won many times.

“That is why you work, because of that feeling and desire to win. It pushes you forward, but progress itself is also satisfaction. As the saying goes, when you cease to learn, you cease to grow. That is why this sport is beautiful, because every day is different, no maestral in the canal is the same as the one yesterday or the day before yesterday. And only the bora, the south wind and all the winds, currents, knowledge of meteorology, clouds... Every new regatta is learning and that is also something that pushes you. Well then, the technical part of sailing itself, knowledge of the ship, the mast and all those technical things; we must also know something about aerodynamics, materials and how they behave. It is constant work, it is complex and you can draw motivation everywhere”, Šime believes.

“The last two years have been really tough because of Covid. We did not sail regattas and we are looking forward to competitions. We would like to enter the World Cup as ready as possible, physically and mentally. We have to achieve all our goals in boat driving, technique, speed and the right choice of equipment that suits the conditions. Only then are we sure that the result will not be missing. We already know which things we are not good at, and if we do not work on them, no one will give them to us”, Mihovil reveals.

Since they have won a lot of medals, especially Šime, when asked what else they would like to win, they said “We would like to repeat the victory from the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 in this combination in 2024 in a new class. Sailing has a lot of classes, so after Olympic sailing there are a lot of choices and options you can sail. However, the highlight for a professional sailor is the competition in the America's Cup, but unfortunately there is little chance that we will achieve this, given that Croatia does not have enough funds to go through with such a project. There are only a few countries in the world that can do that, we might only get an invitation. However, below that highest level there are a lot of good regattas that we are looking forward to in the future.”

That is why they have not yet seen the end of their engagement in professional sailing. “We may stop competing in Olympic classes, but we will certainly not stop sailing.”

“From the beginning, our family was our biggest support. This is an expensive sport and without the help of family it would not be possible. In recent years we have received support and we are happy to have quality sponsors. In the last cycle they were D-marin, Croatian National Tourist Board, OTP Bank, Red Bull. We can push through the season, we have all we need. We have the support of the City of Zadar, Zadar Tourist Board, the Croatian Olympic Committee and others.”

They also have the support of fans who regularly follow their successes, for which, as they say, the sky is the limit.

“We are proud to represent the city of Zadar everywhere in the world and wherever we travel, many people and our friends want to come to Croatia and rent a boat, travel and discover the beauties of our coast. So de facto we really are ambassadors. I write them emails where to go, what to visit, where to anchor”, Šime added in the end.

And we wish them fair winds and following seas, and a lot of success in the upcoming season…