"I think we have come full circle and will be using a mix of new and old gear. But we did push the bar and I can say we found some magic on the way. What it is will show at the games."
Unfortunately, Jonas broke his mast soon after this interview, so it is still unsure what he will be using during the Olympics.
He updated us. "I was training in 20-25 knots. I am not sure what happened, but when I got in I could see that my mast had cracked half way around 25 cm above the gooseneck. I liked that mast and had a good reason to believe that it gave me an egde. We are in the process of fixing it and getting a lot of help from Luca. So a big thanks to him.
The mast will be ready today and we are planning on sailing with it to see if the repair will hold and if the mast bend has changed."
"I have my 2001 Wilke mast as back-up. I have used this mast forever and it has always done well. I have won two worlds and had some top four finishes with that mast so it is not a bad mast. Time will tell what will happen."
Like other sailors Jonas has focussed on quality training rather than regattas in the run up to the Games. "I think too many events run you down. Focus on fitness is key and a regatta can disrupt a good fitness programme. To do well you need to be fresh and this season you could do regattas back to back. For me a focus on keeping fresh and work on the gear was more important than racing. If I couldn't get on the same page as Ben I would be racing for secondary positions."
Looking back at the 2008 Olympics Jonas was clearly unhappy with his performance, but in hindsight feels there were some positives. "I think it was a hard regatta and luck was not on my side. When I finally got back on form the wind died and we didn't race. Going in to the event I felt really prepared but I was also nervous as I was one of the favourites. Sometimes you just don't have the week and that happened to me. Looking back there is a couple of things I would change but the experience has been a gift for this Games."
"My preparation for 2012 has been much shorter, though besides that not too different. Get the equipment right, be in shape, be sharp. Of you go and do your best."
To win a medal the top ten will have to face the toughest challenge yet in an Olympic Games, a medal race in front of thousands of spectators on the inshore Nothe course. "The medal race on the Nothe course might play for a bit more risk induced race. But it is the same for all so it shouldn't be a problem. You just have to prepare for it as best as possible. Gear choice is less important here. The medal race is 30 minutes and it is most likely going to be in very shifty conditions, so gear will not play a big part."
