Be the Inspiration: Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders

Sailing fast is the simplest way to win a yacht race. But partners on the water, Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders, know it requires constant tweaking - and chattering - to reach the speed they need to succeed.

Say the young Kiwi crew, who sail a mixed multihull Nacra 17 together: You have more tactical options when youre going fast. Its the easiest way to win.

In a relatively short time, Jones and Saunders have mastered the intricacies of the Nacra 17, be sailed for the first time at an Olympics in Rio next year. Finishing fourth at this years Nacra world championships was validation of the time theyve spent working together in the boat, with the unified goal of qualifying for Rio.

To garner speed, they say, you need to be constantly making adjustments to your body weight, the angle of your body and the sails. You need a lot of training to do this well, and at speed. When one little change can alter the speed of the entire boat, Jones and Saunders must constantly work on being in sync with each other.

Communication is also key, and so they keep up the chatter. There are times when they dont have to say a lot, because they both know what needs to be done. But on certain parts of the race course, like at the start-line, talking to each other is vital.

Jones and Saunders have set roles on the boat, so on every part of the court, and in every scenario, they know what their jobs are. Because making quick and efficient decisions is imperative to sailing at their best.  

Being constantly aware of whats going on around them the wind, the water and rival boats helps to speed up the decision-making process. Situations on the ocean can spring up quickly, and they often have to make immediate decisions with limited information. Thats when planning scenarios, to automatically know how to react in them, comes into play.

Both yachties, although young, can also call on their experience. Tauranga sailor Saunders, soon to turn 25, has already tasted Olympic competition sailing to a creditable fifth in a 470 dinghy at the 2012 London Olympics.

And 21-year-old Aucklander Jones has elite sailing in her blood. Her mother, Jan Shearer, is a three time Olympian who won silver in the womens 470 at the 1992 Barcelona Games; her father, Murray Jones, is a four-time winner of the Americas Cup.

But its crucial that they bring that knowledge together as a team so theyre constantly working on their racing relationship.

Saunders enjoys the concept of a male-female crew: It brings a different element to the race; its a different but cool vibe.

Jones says its really cool knowing that she is inspiring others. Its a really proud feeling representing my country too.