Hi there! My name is Sarah and this is my JustGiving page to raise money for me to represent Great Britain in the Cadet World Championships this December, a priceless opportunity. Thank you for visiting and I hope you like what you read here…

About me:

My name is Sarah McEwan, a 17-year-old from Southwest London. I’m currently studying A-levels in Sixth form, with the aspiration of going to university and joining the Royal Navy in a medical capacity.

I started sailing back in 2016, after a nasty accident that impeded my ability to do gymnastics. I tried out many sports while my arm healed, and once the cast came off, I found that sailing allowed me to keep active while I recovered my strength. Soon, sailing became a large focus in my life, allowing me to meet a diverse community of people, and learn a lot about the world around me while partaking in it (as well as a lot about myself). I could be myself while I sailed, focusing on something outside of school while pushing myself to be ambitious and driven.

My Sailing CV:

Starting to helm in late 2019 brought on a new set of challenges for me; I've worked hard with my crew for the last three years in gaining a place in the GB squad. We both juggled academic life on top of other commitments, with the restrictions of the last two years making it a whole new ball game for us to manoeuvre (I had to make do sailing with my brother, otherwise be stuck not sailing at all!). Despite this, we made it and it has finally paid off.

My Boat:

The Cadet Class, a two-person dinghy, has been an international Junior racing class for 75 years (the anniversary coming up this August). The blueprints for the boat were first published in 1947, an open design so that people could build them in their own front rooms! The boat has sails seen on much bigger dinghies and yachts, and has been the starting point for many sailors who have gone on to achieve global recognition.

Being a two-person boat, the Cadet Class struggled during lockdown due to the implementation of family bubbles. However, it bounced back well once the easing of lockdown, going on to run national competitions and events all around the world. This has all led up to this year’s World Championships in Williamstown, Australia, the first championship since lockdown started back in 2020.

My Journey to the Worlds:

During April and May, Cadet sailors have been partaking in selector events to determine who would have the chance to represent GB. In early May, it was announced that my boat had secured a place in the top 10 of all those who had competed, meaning I would receive an invitation to represent Great Britain in the Cadet World Championships for 2022.

The class rules require you to leave the fleet before your 18th birthday, so going to Australia in December will be my only chance to achieve my goal of being a Cadet World Class sailor (as the last two Worlds were cancelled due to the pandemic).

The Event:

With the good, there always comes the other side of the coin: by making such a team, there is the cost of competing.

Sailing itself is not an expensive sport, but to maintain a competitive edge in any sport adds costs. In sailing, you have to include boat maintenance as well as travel and accommodation.

The cost becomes even more as the event is set to be in Australia. To get there, we need to ensure there is money available to pay for myself and my mother’s travel and accommodations (my brother and father have already decided to not come with as it will save costs), on top of transporting my boat, the entry fees, and costs for my crew and her family also being taken into account. Finally, we even have to find another boat for me to train in while mine is being transported to and from Australia (a process that is supposed to take 3 months before the competition). The costs associated with all of this are simply too high to support by ourselves.

The Ask:

It’s 2022, and I have earned my place in the GB team. All I ask is for you to help me to achieve my funding target so I can show that Great Britain is still producing World Class sailors at all ages.