Two junior sailors have returned from the Czech Republic following their success in the Cadet World Championship.
Royal Geelong Yacht Club’s (RGYC) junior sailors Jack Benyan and Louis Davis in the international championship at the Czech Republic’s Lake Lipno from August 1 to 8, securing the third-place spot.
Jack, a 14-year-old from Jan Juc, said he was thrilled to make it as the top three sailing boats during the championship and that he felt him and Louis made a great team.
“We went very well and I wasn’t expecting to get anywhere near that third place spot,” he said.
“It was a pretty special experience and… I just love the freedom of sailing and being able to choose exactly what happens.
“Sailing in the Czech Republic is very different from here because of all of the mountains, it’s very hard to stay consistent but i think that definitely helped us in the long run.”
Louis, a 10-year-old from Geelong West, said the championship was a great chance to race against 78 other boats from across eight countries.
“The championships were very fun and in a good location… and I couldn’t believe that we came third as it didn’t feel real,” he said.
“Me and my grandma flew over there and my dad met me halfway through and because he’s a preffesional sailor, he gave us a couple of tips.
“What I liked about competing in the Czech Republic was that it was on a lake, so it wasn’t salt water, which was nice as your nose gets itchy in the salt water.”
RGYC’s adult sailors Brendan Garner and Ben O’Brien also returned to Australia after competing in the Fireball World Championship in Italy from August 22 to 30, where they missed out on a podium spot but came in fourth place.
