This team attracts attention with its iconic name, which originates in ancient Greek mythology, symbolizing the life of the immortal gods of Olympus. Dolce Vita helmed by Inna Balashova always strives for the highest achievements and proves its competitiveness at every regatta.
The upcoming season of the Tenzor International Cup – J/70 Open Winter Series 25/26 will be the third for the team. They has got two bronze medals and an excellent knowledge base and experience of racing in Turkish marinas.
In exclusive interview with Inna Balashova, we discussed the results achieved, revealed the full range of emotions that occur during the races, learned about the new goals of the team and some life hacks that help the team to always be in good shape.
Inna, the third winter season is ahead for your team in the Tenzor International Cup Winter Series in Türkiye. How do you prepare and what are your expectations?
Inna Balashova: Let's just say that since I wasn't inspired by the summer sailing season in Russia this year, we'll catch up on the winter TIC Series in Türkiye.
The team finished the series in the top 3 twice. Are you satisfied with the achieved results, and what is the sporting challenge for the upcoming season?
Inna Balashova: If our interview were not about sports, I would say without falsehood that I am always happy with what I have. But I grew up in a very "oppressive" sports family, where the podium consisted only of the first place, and the principle of sports education was "die, but run." So it would be deceitful of me to say that I have no ambitions to improve my position in the upcoming season.
So the minimum sporting task is to keep the top-2 and N1 in competitive spirit!
You have competed in a wide variety of sailing venues in Europe and around the world. What do you like about the Turkish location and what are its features?
Inna Balashova: In fact, the choice of winter series in the J/70 class in Europe was not so diverse: Spain and Monaco.
And given the current situation, Türkiye is still the only alternative.
Aspat Bay was the venue for both seasons of TIC, with three different racing water areas and good wind conditions. In the second season, not every stage could boast stable winds, stable weather, and a full racing program.
But when the wind direction allowed the PRO to set the distance in the water area between the Greek island of Kos and Turgutreis, these were the highest quality races and the most driving emotions.
The pleasure of the process and the result in the regatta. What is the most important thing for you and why?
Inna Balashova: I'm a maximalist, I need everything at once!
At the final stage in April, you had a far from the best start, but you were able to finish in the top-5. How do you achieve balance and maintain a fighting spirit in a team when there are mistakes and something is not going according to plan?
Inna Balashova: In general, last season was not stable for us, and the completion of both series with the same result in the top-3 had a completely different weight.
Obviously, the competition increased, with each race, with each stage, the teams became stronger, fighting for their positions in the ranking, and our own mistakes during the regatta were "expensive", and correcting them required a lot of effort, including psychological ones.
I can't say that failures don't affect the mood and morale of the team, and we're so mentally resilient that we've learned to easily offset their impact. But after a difficult race, the plan for the next one is always the same: "it's indecent to slam the door."
Plus, taking proper care of yourself on the shore: a glass of iced sparkling wine works wonders!"
The upcoming season of the Tenzor International Cup – J/70 Open Winter Series 25/26 will be the third for the team. They has got two bronze medals and an excellent knowledge base and experience of racing in Turkish marinas.
In exclusive interview with Inna Balashova, we discussed the results achieved, revealed the full range of emotions that occur during the races, learned about the new goals of the team and some life hacks that help the team to always be in good shape.
Inna, the third winter season is ahead for your team in the Tenzor International Cup Winter Series in Türkiye. How do you prepare and what are your expectations?
Inna Balashova: Let's just say that since I wasn't inspired by the summer sailing season in Russia this year, we'll catch up on the winter TIC Series in Türkiye.
The team finished the series in the top 3 twice. Are you satisfied with the achieved results, and what is the sporting challenge for the upcoming season?
Inna Balashova: If our interview were not about sports, I would say without falsehood that I am always happy with what I have. But I grew up in a very "oppressive" sports family, where the podium consisted only of the first place, and the principle of sports education was "die, but run." So it would be deceitful of me to say that I have no ambitions to improve my position in the upcoming season.
So the minimum sporting task is to keep the top-2 and N1 in competitive spirit!
You have competed in a wide variety of sailing venues in Europe and around the world. What do you like about the Turkish location and what are its features?
Inna Balashova: In fact, the choice of winter series in the J/70 class in Europe was not so diverse: Spain and Monaco.
And given the current situation, Türkiye is still the only alternative.
Aspat Bay was the venue for both seasons of TIC, with three different racing water areas and good wind conditions. In the second season, not every stage could boast stable winds, stable weather, and a full racing program.
But when the wind direction allowed the PRO to set the distance in the water area between the Greek island of Kos and Turgutreis, these were the highest quality races and the most driving emotions.
The pleasure of the process and the result in the regatta. What is the most important thing for you and why?
Inna Balashova: I'm a maximalist, I need everything at once!
At the final stage in April, you had a far from the best start, but you were able to finish in the top-5. How do you achieve balance and maintain a fighting spirit in a team when there are mistakes and something is not going according to plan?
Inna Balashova: In general, last season was not stable for us, and the completion of both series with the same result in the top-3 had a completely different weight.
Obviously, the competition increased, with each race, with each stage, the teams became stronger, fighting for their positions in the ranking, and our own mistakes during the regatta were "expensive", and correcting them required a lot of effort, including psychological ones.
I can't say that failures don't affect the mood and morale of the team, and we're so mentally resilient that we've learned to easily offset their impact. But after a difficult race, the plan for the next one is always the same: "it's indecent to slam the door."
Plus, taking proper care of yourself on the shore: a glass of iced sparkling wine works wonders!"