Four of our elite sailors took part in the World Sailing Youth World Championships in The Hague last week, in the One Person Dinghy Male and Female fleets (ILCA 6 Class). Each had already achieved a great deal to qualify for these championships, as only one male and female can represent their country. They were:
Sebastian Kempe, who came 2nd representing Bermuda.
Nicole Stovell, who secured 23rd position for Bermuda.
Thommie Grit, who came 28th for Great Britain.
Boris Hirsch, who came 32nd representing Switzerland.
As last year’s champion, Seb wore the leader’s yellow bib from day one after two strong wins, but went into the final day fourth overall after some tricky races. With four sailors closely fighting for the gold, Seb managed to lift his game to secure silver, a massive achievement in a fleet of the best 61 ILCA 6 sailors from around the world. However, as someone with his eye on the gold medal position and a champion mindset, Seb commented;
“It was a disappointing week for me in The Hague. It is a hard pill to swallow after so much hard work went into the preparation for the event. However, this is only a number in the road and I will not stop pushing my trajectory onwards and upwards. Thank you to everyone who supported me in the lead up to this event. Next stop Texas for a chance for redemption.”
Nicole, who joined RHS in Year 12 last year, comments; “I thoroughly enjoyed the event. The racing was intense and required high focus, but those are some of the things I love about sailing. I'm proud of my result, 23rd overall, and I think it is a big step up for me from the 2021 event six months ago in Oman where I placed 32nd. I'm glad to have something to show for my hard work and improvement.”
Thommie comments; “Definitely not the result I was aiming for, but lots learned to take into the Worlds in Texas.”
Their next regatta is the ILCA 6 Youth World Championship in Texas, which takes place from the 23rd to the 30th of July. We wish them the best of luck with this.
