RQYS Mainsheet 2021

Daunts’ Olympic dreams

FEATURE

UNDAUNTED SIBLINGS’ DREAMS Wyuna Fund beneficiaries Ashlee and Brayden Daunt have their sights set on the Olympics

After joining forces in early 2020, my brother Brayden and I were extremely fortunate to have had an incredibly successful 2020-21 sailing season in the 29er class. Previously. we had a few individual successes with our respective crews but decided (having more experience) it was now time to begin our sailing journey together – fitting for the lockdowns soon to come! We would both be lying if we said it was all smooth sailing from the start but, with mutual dedication, we trained very hard together with our training partners Luke Rogers and Joe Folley in preparation for our first regatta – QLD Youth Week 2020 at RQYS. After some nerves and unease on Day 1 we were happy to come away with a convincing win on the final day of the regatta. As our first regatta together, this set us up with some additional confidence going into events later in the season. Getting back to training, we had our sights set on working hard towards the 2021 National Titles in WA and all the regattas leading up to it.

COVID border closures certainly put an end to that but we made the best of it in every other regatta.

We managed to achieve first place in every competition we attended during the 2020-21 season: QLD Youth Week, QLD Youth Championships at KBSC, NSW 29er States round 1 at Wangi Wangi and Sail Sydney at WSC. Together with the QLD 29er team, this was our most successful season in the class for at least four years. We were also fortunate enough to qualify for the Queensland Academy of Sport. With the help of Shane Smith and his QAS team we have now moved to the Mixed 470 and also selected as part of the Australian Sailing

Futures program. Depending on COVID restrictions, Bray and I hope to partake in Sail Sydney, Sail Melbourne, a National Titles and also some overseas events

in early 2022. Bray and I are excited to be continuing on our journey together with the hope of one day making our big Olympic dreams come true.

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Mainsheet 2021

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