Saskia Sills reports from the ISAF RS:X Youth World Championships in Ireland –
Dublin Bay has very strange local weather systems. One minute it could be 5 knots and coming from the right hand side of the course and the next it could be 20 knots and coming from the left hand side of the course! Luckily being British I was used to these conditions.
We sailed all scheduled races which was 12 and they lasted about half an hour due to the strange wind!
I went into the ISAF’s with no expectations at all. My goal was to learn as much as possible in the week, which I felt I had achieved. Winning was a bonus!
Being in RYA Volvo Team GBR was such a new and different experience but an amazing one at the same time. There was so much support which was really nice to have and which I hadn’t really experienced before.
Being World Champion in RS:X feels amazing – I didn’t know where I would be compared to the other girls as I had only competed against them in the Techno class before (I moved to RS:X in September last year).
Winning the Nations Trophy was also such a great achievement for RYA Volvo Team GBR. We’re all so proud of each other and it was great to be a part of the same team!
I would like to say thank you to Duncan, Oli and Neil (our coaches) for being so supportive and making it such a great experience.
The next competition for me is the 2012 Eurosaf Youth Sailing European Championship in Denmark 4th-10th August. I competed in this event last year in Lake Garda in the Techno class but this year I will be racing in RS:X. My goal for this competition is again to learn as much as possible and soak up the experience.
I must also thank my parents for supporting me all the way – and my twin sister Imogen.
She sails in the RS:X class as well and has been right there with me – all of last winter we trained together and she made me fast. Without her I would not be where I am today and would have not achieved what I have. I am looking forward to training with her again this winter and sharing all that I have learnt over the past few weeks with her.
More on the ISAF website here
