After just one year of competing in ILCA 4 dinghies (formerly Lasers), Kaitlyn Wyatt, a student at Gordon’s School has been chosen to represent Great Britain in the ILCA 4 Youth World Championships in Portugal, this August!
Kaitlyn has been sailing competitively since 2018 and is ranked in the top five female ILCA 4 sailors nationally.
She achieved her selection after a weekend in Weymouth in which she competed in the final of seven ILCA 4 qualification events. It was the largest ILCA 4 qualification event ever held in the UK and featured the largest female contingent. Kaitlyn finished as the leading female sailor with an invitation to represent GB at both the European and World Championships.
Sadly her GCSE exams mean she is unable to compete in the Europeans, but the 15 year old will make it for the world championships.
The teenager discovered a love of sailing after taking a course while on holiday in the Summer of 2016. On her return, she joined Papercourt Sailing Club and began sailing in an Optimist. Though adamantly against the idea of sailing competitively, she did give it a go!
“I didn’t want to compete. I hated the idea of sailing competitively, thought it almost ruined the sport. But went in for my first competition and I really liked it.
“After that I just continued to do events. The same year I qualified for the London and South East training squad and the following year moved up to the National training squad, both in the Topper dinghy. After my final year in Toppers I moved into the Laser and ever since then it’s been going well.”
She sails throughout the year, training in the winter and competing in the summer as well as teaching younger sailors at Papercourt. This summer she will also undertake a course enabling her to become a Dinghy instructor.
As to what motivates her with her sailing, Kaitlyn enthused: “On a sunny day out at sea with the wind and waves, there’s a point when you’re blasting down on a reach, the dinghy is planing and water is splashing in your face. I just feel so powerful”
Looking to the competition in Vilamoura, Portugal, Kaitlyn said: “I’m more excited than nervous about it because it is a new experience – I have never competed abroad before”.
Categories: Gordon's School School News
