Five young sailors have been selected to represent South Africa at the 2023 Youth Sailing World Championships in the coastal resort town of Armação dos Búzios, Brazil from 8-16 December.
Taking to the water in the girls’ 29er class are sisters Ingrid and Lena Holm.
“At the moment we are quite busy with school so we are struggling to get on the water to train, but we are spending lots of time working on our tactics and strategy at home (which is at the moment our weakest point that needs the most attention),” explained 17-year-old skipper, Ingrid.
“We are planning a trip overseas (to Sweden) in August to gain extra experience in overseas racing in preparation for the youth worlds. We are for sure most looking forward to meeting and competing against people from all over the world, with, of course, the amazing background scenery of Brazil!
“Neither of us has been to that side of the world yet, and we are really curious and excited to see what it’s like to sail on those waters”
Ingrid said the main goal is to apply all the sailing skills the duo have built up over the years and execute their best game and limit mistakes.
Speaking about her sister, she added: “As the crew, Lena brings a lot of energy and dedication to the team. She can make quick, smart decisions and is the competitive one between the two of us.
“As the helm, I’m more passive on the water. I get my head out of the boat and around the bigger picture, while staying calm in stressful situations during racing.”
16-year-old Lena added: “I’m excited to see how we’ve improved and to see where we still need to improve to become better sailors. We want perform on a higher level and be more competitive with the better sailors.”
The talented teen agreed with her sister’s assessment of what each of them brings to the boat. “I bring a certain amount of competitiveness and aggression while Ingrid tends to do things calmer and not get as excited as I do.”
Meanwhile, representing the country in the boys’ 29er class are the team of Sean Kavanagh and Max Celliers who have been training with 2017 29er world champion and Tokyo Olympian Alex Burger in Table Bay.
“Table Bay is a really good location to train out of as we get a large variety of conditions with good swell and waves,” said Kavanagh.
“I’m most looking forward to sailing in a really competitive international fleet again. We had promising results in Europe last year and are looking forward to testing our skills and measuring our progress against the world’s best.
“Where we place will come down to how well we have trained, how much work we have put in, and how well we execute and perform under pressure. It’s easy to say we would like to finish here or there, however our result will reflect our development and progress. The long-term goal is a medal at youth worlds. A top-half finish in Brazil would be great.
Speaking about his teammate, Kavanagh added: “I enjoy sailing with Max. He is strong on boat preparation and rope work. On the boat he is athletic and keeps a cool head under pressure. We communicate well which aids decision making. I love figuring out the strategic and tactical considerations in a race, thrive on competition and enjoy working out which modes to sail in and when.
“We would like to inspire others to sail the 29er and to work hard to compete internationally.” Celliers confirmed that he and Kavanagh are gunning for a top-10 finish.
“I have quite high ambitions when it comes to sailing. For this regatta it’s incredibly hard to gauge where we will lie in the fleet as we haven’t competed overseas together, although we did go to Germany and Denmark last year with different partners, but I don’t think I could be disappointed by a top 10.
“I started sailing the 29er at the start of 2022 and began training consistently and intensely with a few other like- minded individuals under our coach Alex Burger, who has a strong relationship with the class after winning the world championships in 2017.
“Sean and I began sailing with each other around November but, as we sailed in the same squad, we had already sailed quite a few hours together.
Since then we have improved and grown together, both literally and figuratively which makes Brazil look like a paradise for sailing in my mind: incredibly warm water and air and a 70 per cent chance of wind between 12 and 18 knots which suits our weight as we are now on the heavier side. It also resembles our beloved Granger Bay, except for the temperature!
“Sean and I sail the boat in quite a standard way that is believed to be optimal. Sean as the helm focuses on tactics and strategy while I try to make the boat as fast as possible and help on the strategic side whenever needed.”
Also making the squad is ILCA 6 sailor Natasha Brown, who has been focusing on physical fitness.
“When it comes to my preparation for the 2023 Youth Worlds, my focus has been on building up my fitness and endurance levels,” said Brown. “Shellee Nel has put me on a fitness programme that makes my body feel like it’s breaking but has done wonders for my sailing and has helped me increase my competitiveness on the racecourse.
“When it comes to sailing, I take every opportunity I get to put my boat in the water. My dad’s main job has been to cart both myself and my boat (Miss Atomic Blond) all over our county so I can compete and train in every condition possible. Although my boat has been to tons of yacht clubs, my boat’s home will always be SYC (Stilbaai yacht club Vaal Dam) and VLC (Victoria Lake Club Germiston).”
Looking ahead to the event itself, Brown explained: “I am most looking forward to meeting and making new friends from all the weird corners of the world and learning how they each individually make their boats move.
“When it comes to achievements, I am going in to sail harder than I have ever sailed before. I want to do my best and if that means coming last, I will carry that position with pride. My main mission is to bring back information to pass on to the future youth worlds South African sailors so that the overall competitiveness of South African sailing improves.”
SA team for YW2023:
- ILCA 6 Female: Natasha Brown
- 29er Male: Sean Kavanagh & Max Celliers
- 29er Females: Lena Holm & Ingrid Holm
- Team Management and coaches: Rudolph Holm, Michael Kavanagh
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