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William Lockett – progress from Optimist to Laser 4.7.

The winter of 2009/10 saw William in the National Squad for Optimists.  At his penultimate training weekend he was told the news he was dreading – he was too tall for his boat after growing 2 inches in four months! Thinking about what to do next there was a Laser 4.7 competition happening the next weekend in Cardiff. During that week his Dad had found a good 10 year old boat being sold close to us and bought it.

William and David (his Dad) arrived at Cardiff a week later and had to ask for help in rigging the boat because they did not know how to! William did extremely well, finishing the weekend as 14^th boy. We realised that the competition was the selectors for the European Laser 4.7 competition – which William ended being 14^th overall and was given a place at the European Laser 4.7 competition to take place in July/August 2010 in Hourtin, France. This is the first time that William has been selected to represent his country, he was thrilled.

William then had to compete for a place in the Laser 4.7 Summer National Squad so that he could get support while at Hourtin, especially as both his parents were unable to accompany him. Thanks to Tacklesport's generous sponsorship of William he was able to buy a new sail which improved his performance.

The Summer Squad selectors were over two weekends, and the first weekend had difficult condition and as such he did not do brilliantly, however he made up for it on the second weekend coming 8^th overall. William had secured his place in the Summer Squad.

Thanks to friends and Mike Lis, the UK Laser Association Laser 4.7 representative, William and his boat were able to get to Hourtin and he was able to compete.

After the second day William was 3^rd British sailor and 11^th under 16 boy. (Although a 4.7 is a junior boat in UK, in Europe it is sailed until 18). Unfortunately it all went wrong after that. Considering it was his first international competition and he did really well, remember it was only four months earlier that he stood on the quay in Cardiff unsure how to rig his boat!

His sights are now set on the Worlds competition next year which will take place in San Francisco. The next few months will be important for him as he will compete for a place in the Winter National Squad, the members of which are prepared for the Worlds in 2011. 

William would like to thank Tacklesport for all their help and support during the last year, without which he could not have done so much in such a short time this year.