“I have always been passionate about the short-handed offshore circuit and the Vendée Globe is the final aim. I am quite competitive so, naturally, would want to do well in the Vendée Globe, winning if possible! So starting from the base level up in the Figaro class and trying to work with the French as opposed to work against the French is a good start! I would most like to follow in the footsteps of Sam Davies. She has done it quite well, taking her English knowledge over to the French and put the two together.

“To begin with when I started sailing my parents weren’t too keen that I wasn’t going to university like everyone does. But I think now they realise that there is somewhere to go with it, and the fact that I have been selected for the Academy means they are very excited for me. I was bought up living on a boat with my family in the Caribbean from when I was just a few weeks old. I lived out there for most of my life and only moved back to the UK five years ago.

“I think the Olympians have been so successful as they have started from the ground up. If you look at all the youth squads for kids they all started from a very young age and that’s how they got such could results. I think that’s why this Academy is going to help, starting from ground level as opposed to what a lot of the British skippers have done up till now which is to go straight into the IMOCA 60 class or maybe a few steps before that. But if you look at the successful French skippers they start with the Figaro class and even come back again, even if they are right at the top, to carry on training which is probably the key to their success.

Source : Classe IMOCA