Sail away

Louisiana is known as the sportsman’s paradise, but one local outdoor activity that may not seem so common has placed three Baton Rouge residents among the best in the world.

Anne Edwards, her husband, Todd, and friend Brent Evans have qualified individually for the week-long Sunfish World Championship Regatta in St. Petersburg, Fla., this month. The competition includes the top 50-70 sailors in the world.

Because most regattas span multiple days and can include more than 10 one-hour races, Anne Edwards will usually go to the gym three times a week to stay in shape. Depending on how windy the weather turns out to be on race days, it can take competitive sailors anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to recover.

Todd Edwards learned how to sail before he could ride a bicycle. He emphasizes the strategic nature of his unique sport of choice. The direction and power of the wind must be analyzed and utilized to the keenest competitive advantage on the water.

“Everyone always says, ‘Time in the boat is what makes you fast,’” he says.

While Edwards agrees that getting in the boat and being in the water is the best prep for a race, another important regimine impacts his regatta success—one not so unfamiliar to Louisianans.

“My training is eat, eat, eat,” he says, because I need the weight.” sunfishclass.org/worlds