Chloe Martin
Chloe was top female youth sailor at the 2006 and 2007 Radial Nationals and is now stepping up to make her mark at international level.
Last year she placed 8th at the World Youth Radial Championships in Holland and 9th at the Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Canada.
The 17-year-old, from Tonbridge, was presented with a RYA Young Sailor of the Year Award by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston at the 2008 London Boat Show.
Profile
Date and place of birth: 1st July 1990, Bromley, Kent
Current ranking: GB - 1 (Youth Girl), 10 (Ladies), World - 8 (Youth Girl)
School: The Judd School Sixth Form, Tonbridge
Career highlights to date:
» GBR Laser Radial National Youth squad 06/07.
» Selected as part of the British team and achieved 9th out of 34 at the 2007 Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Canada.
» 8th at 2007 World Youth Radial Championships in Holland (5th in Europe).
» Top female youth sailor at the 2006 & 2007 Radial Nationals.
» Won the Nesham Driver Memorial Award 2006
» RYA website identified Chloe as one of GB's best young sailors.
Chloe clinches European title
I represented Great Britain in the Laser Radial class at the International Sailing Federation Championships in Denmark. I sailed in a tough 40-strong fleet of competitors and finished 13th overall after achieving three top ten positions, including a second place in the penultimate race. My results helped the GB team to win the Volvo trophy as the most successful nation at the Championships.
I also had a great week at the European Laser Radial Youth Girls Championships in Douarnenez, France. I won the event after sailing consistently all week and only finished outside the top ten in one race. I was up against 77 other sailors from all over the world and was part of a team of 11 British girls.
Chloe shines in New Zealand
Chloe is celebrating selection as the first member of RYA Team GBR’s 2008 ISAF Youth World Championship squad.
She secured her place for the girls’ Radial class following her impressive performance at the World Laser Radial Youth Championships, staged in New Zealand in March.
By finishing top of all the British girls, and eighth in the world, she now looks forward to the ISAF Youth Worlds, which take place in Aarhus, Denmark, in July. It is the second consecutive year that Chloe has been selected for the ISAF Worlds, reflecting her consistency at the highest level.
Chloe said her trip to New Zealand was nerve racking as she’d set her heart on coming away first GBR Youth girl.
By the end of the first day she was top GBR Youth Girl, with the light winds her favourite conditions.
Day Two was a different matter though. “My early morning look out of the bedroom window confirmed my worst fears, the weather had changed and the wind increased to predominantly over 17 knots. This favoured my heavier rivals. I hung in there and even managed a third in one race when the wind dropped.”
On the last day Chloe was just three points ahead of her nearest GBR rival, with two races left. And by losing the first of those races by three places it was neck-and-neck for the last.
“I got a good start and worked as hard as I possibly could on the first beat, my legs hurt so much. My rival was just in front but with my downwind speed I passed her and got a fair distance ahead and won by two points overall.”