We sat down with Henry Redmond, Performance Academy Sailing Scholarship (PASS) sailor, to talk all about his summer on the water. The PASS programme provides opportunities for 4 sailors to have subsidised access to our Performance Academy group training, a mentoring programme and team kit. Check out Henry’s reflections on his summer below:

What events did you attend this summer?

This summer I attended the; ILCA 4 Youth Europeans, ILCA 4 Youth Worlds, and UK ILCA 4 Open and National Championships

How did the events go for you? Did you meet your goals?

ILCA 4 Europeans – I went into this event with no expectations, as the only previous international event I had done was the ILCA 4 Worlds in Dun Laoghaire the previous year. This event was at the back end of COVID, so wasn’t as well attended as this year. My event got off to a bumpy start, bringing in some not so good results. I think this was due to my confidence on the international scene. Once I got myself together, I had some better results, bringing myself out of bronze fleet and into silver. At this point, my aims were to be at the front of the fleet in silver. Day 4 saw bigger winds than we had during the qualifying series, which is what I prefer. On this day I managed to lead race 1 for the first lap, until picking up an unfortunate penalty, dropping me into 10th. That day I got my best results, 10 and 13th. Overall I finished 109th, which I was quite content with.

ILCA 4 Worlds – I went into this event with slightly higher expectations with it being my last ILCA 4 international event. Picking up some top 15s in the qualifying series, things were going well. I was up to 50th on the 2nd day of qualifying which I was super happy about. However, the last day of qualifying didn’t go my way. Dropping down some places and missing out on gold fleet. This was hard for me, as my goal was to make gold fleet, and I was. The rest of the week started to go downhill which wasn’t great, however I still enjoyed my last ILCA 4 international, with it being my favourite event ever, by far. I didn’t quite meet my goal set, however I was still happy with several parts of my event, including certain races, how I prepared and my time management.

ILCA 4 Nationals – This was to be my last ILCA 4 event, before moving into the ILCA 6. I had expectations for myself with it being my last event, and at the time leading the ladder series. With a good first day getting a 4th and 7th. As someone told me, you can’t win an event on the first day, however you can lose it. With only one discard, this mentality was vital for me. I carried out more consistent results throughout the week, getting four 1sts on day 2 of racing. This eventually led to me winning the event. This was an amazing result for me, as when I started in the ILCA 4 I came second to last at the nationals. This was a goal I set for myself a few years back, and I finally reached it.

How did you prepare for these events?

I prepared for these events through lots of training, thanks to Andrew Simpson Centres PASS. I trained almost every weekend throughout the spring and summer to prepare myself for these events. The majority of my training was out of Langstone Harbour, at ASC Portsmouth. I was also able to keep my kit updated through my Rooster ‘Care Package’ which I got before all my big events, so I was able to look the part for the international scene.

How have you used your PASS funding so far?

So far, I have used my PASS funding for training throughout the summer, to help me prepare for the summer and autumn events. I am continuing to use the generous funding throughout this autumn and winter, helping me attend the national ILCA training. This will help me to continue improving throughout this winter in the ILCA 6, and prepare me for events next summer.

Mentoring Reflections

Tell me about your PASS mentoring… What has the mentoring involved?

The mentoring has involved regular catch ups, to chat about balancing my life with sailing, college work, and my social life. These catch ups have been via online call, or at events. Mentoring sessions helped me set goals throughout the summer, and made me set realistic goals for myself, and goals I can reach.

How do you think it has affected your sailing?

I think it has affected my sailing by helping me recognise my weak areas. I have felt I’ve never really sat down and thought about my sailing until these mentoring sessions. They have allowed me to target different areas, and help me mentally in dealing with pressure of events, time away from home and realising potential. They have helped me gain confidence and recognise where I need confidence. For example, my starting never used to be that good, however sitting down and talking to my mentor helped me realise that a lot of it was a lack of confidence. Having this extra boost of confidence has helped me improve results throughout the summer and autumn.

Looking Forwards

What are your plans for the winter?

This winter, fortunately I got offered a place in the ILCA 6 Youth Performance Squad. This will help me massively with training and improving ready for the summer. On top of this, I am also attending the ILCA national open training. This means that I am sailing every weekend between now and Christmas!

What are your plans for next year’s sailing?

Next year, I will hopefully be attending some international ILCA 6 events, along with the UK events. I will also continue training, still using any left over PASS funding.

Rooster Kit

Why has the Rooster kit package been useful?

The Rooster package has been useful for me as it has kept my kit updated. It will also be keeping me warm this winter! I got my kit in Poland at the ILCA 4 Europeans, which was lucky I had just about grown out of my existing buoyancy aid. My Rooster/ASC water resistant jacket is keeping me warm and dry throughout the British autumn, and my aquafleece keeps me warm whilst out on the water.

What specialised kit did you ask for?

I asked for a Rooster Impact Vest, and a polo shirt. The impact vest is the comfiest buoyancy aid I have worn, it is also warm, and extremely flexible. It feels like I’m not wearing a buoyancy aid, whilst still keeping me warm… and afloat.

What has been your favourite piece of kit and why?

It’s hard to choose between the impact vest, and fleece. However if I had to choose one, I’d have to say my fleece. I wear it everywhere as it is comfortable, warm and water resistant. It’s very well made, with waterproof zips and pockets, and adjustable wrists meaning I can trap the warmth in it. I also like how it’s branded with A-Plan Insurance, and ASC PASS on the back.