Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, Ipswich, is celebrating year 13 pupil Audrey F, who competed in the ILCA U21 World Championships in Morocco last month.

Audrey has been waiting to compete at this event for several years as competitors must be between 17 and 20 years old. This was Audrey’s first year of eligibility and she secured a remarkable 10th place overall.

The competition took place over six days with 12 races scheduled but due to extremely strong winds, the sailors were only able to complete 11. Throughout the event, there were a variety of different wind speeds and directions, but stronger winds were most common, with only one day being on the lighter side.

Audrey then went straight on to a six-day training block in Lanzarote before returning to school. She will attend the Thanksgiving Youth Worlds Training Camp in Miami in November which is the official last practice before heading off to represent the US at the Youth Worlds in Brazil this December.

Audrey commented on her achievement saying: “It was a great experience to sail in a fleet with a new level of intensity that sits between the youth and women’s fleets. I was extremely pleased with how the event went and look forward to competing again this year just after speech day.   

“RHS has supported me with my training before I leave for events, ensuring I feel confident and prepared before competitions. My teachers and the sailing department have worked with me to ensure I have all the resources to stay on top of my schoolwork and that sailing does not interfere with my studies. This often includes getting ahead on work before I leave or meeting with my teachers before and after to go over difficult material.” 

Audrey joined RHS in Year 12 as a full boarder from Florida, USA, and was the ILCA 6 class USA Female Champion in 2022 and 2023.  This year has proven to be quite a triumph for Audrey at RHS, where she earned numerous sailing accolades, excelling not only with the Royal Hospital Sailing Team but also making waves in the USA 2023 ILCA 6 Singlehanded Sailing competitions.

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