BOORAGOON teenager Isabelle Kenny is determined to chart a course for the Tokyo Olympics and after claiming the 49erFX Australian Sailing Championship in Adelaide she appears well on her way.
The 16-year-old began sailing five years ago out of the South of Perth Yacht Club and has quickly established herself as an emerging star in the sport.
Earlier this month in Adelaide, skipper Isabelle and crew Jasper Warren coasted to an eight-point victory on board Salacia, finishing outside the top three in just three of the 16 races.
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READ NOW“We led the regatta from day one all the way through to the end and our goal was to finish in the top three in each race so it was nice to remain consistent,” she said.
“The average wind speed was about 14 knots but got up to 20 and the waves were bigger than we’re used to and were really challenging to manoeuvre around.
“Generally lighter teams want lighter winds but it was good to have a mixed bag of conditions which makes it more fair overall.”
Competing in the open class, Isabelle was the youngest sailor in her 49erFX classification and has been invited to a series of training clinics alongside the Australian sailing coach, who is beginning the process of selecting a team for Tokyo 2020.
“I’m looking for a new female crew this year in the lead-up to the Olympics, where the 49erFX class is restricted to just women,” Isabelle said.
“As well as the clinics I’m also competing at a handful of international regattas this year to experience bigger fleets – the first one is at the end of July in Kiel, Germany.”