Cowes Week: Young London sailors win prestigious awards

Kai Hockley, second left and Christopher-Joel Frederick, on the right, have been described as "role models"

Two students from Tottenham have secured top prizes at the prestigious Cowes Week.

Last week, Christopher-Joel Frederick,18, won the Cowes Week youth Trophy, while his classmate Kai Hockley, 17, claimed the young skipper prize.

Running since 1826, the regatta attracts sailors from across the globe, with over 300 competing boats.

The competition attracts world champions, Olympians and amateurs.

Both young sailors are students at the Greig City Academy in Hornsey and learned how to sail through an outdoor programme organised by their geography teacher, Jon Holt.

Both of them overcame challenging circumstances as they live a long way from the sea and do not have access to the funding needed to start out in the sport.

Mr Holt said he had been coaching the boys nearly every weekend and school holiday.

"They are role models I think in that they recognise the barriers, but then find a solution to them," Mr Holt added.

'Old-fashioned image being swept away'

Laurence Mead, regatta director at Cowes Week, said: "The word yachting conjures up rich people and an elitist sport. It is, in fact, the term for sailing bigger boats.

"Chris and Kai are visible examples of that old-fashioned image of yachting finally being swept away. They get on race boats - big and small - because they're good sailors and, ultimately, to their crewmates, that's all that matters."

Mr Holt said: "When the students from disadvantaged backgrounds take to it like this, it makes it all very worthwhile."

"What I hope is that other state schools understand how much the sport of sailing gives young people and undertake it."

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