Harry White (sailor) explained

Harry White
Nationality:British
Birth Date:27 February 2000
Weight Kg:73
Country:United Kingdom
Sport:Sailing
Event:British Young Sailor of the Year
Club:Royal Victoria Yacht Club
Show-Medals:"yes"

Harry White, (born 27 February 2000) is a British competitive sailor. His greatest success came after being named British Young Sailor of the Year 2022.,[1] along with his brothers Charlie & Thomas White (

), for their outstanding performance winning both the Musto Young Skipper[2] & Under 25 Team Trophies at Cowes Week in 2022,[3] racing their Squib (keelboat) Kestrel (835).

He also held the World Record for the Greatest distance sailed in a single-handed dinghy in 12 hours back in 2021, completing 107.64 km (66.9 miles) sailed on The Solent. In fall of 2023, the record was broken by Thomas McEvoy from Mooloolaba, Australia as he sailed 125.60 km on the 17th of May[4]

Early life

Harry was born in the London Borough of Camden as the youngest sibling after his brothers Thomas & Charlie. They were brought up on the Isle of Wight attending various public island schools throughout their education. He first joined the local Royal Victoria Yacht Club (England) back in 2008, where he started his official sailing journey at the age of eight. In 2021, he graduated from the University of Portsmouth in Geography BSc achieving First Class Honors.[5]

Early Years of Sailing

After joining the Royal Victoria Yacht Club (RVYC) he began training in the Optimist where he progressed his basic skills learning the fundamentals of sailing and later on racing. Progression was swift as he started racing just two years later in 2010, entering at club level. In the following years he proceeded to race at the national level but only placing as high as 11th out of 78 in the South Coast Championships in 2011, hosted at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club. Later that year, he joined sailors from the RVYC and Brading Haven Yacht Club (to represent Team Isle of Wight) in Southampton to challenge for the RYA OnBoard Title Champion of Champions event, where they won, beating Team Hampshire.[6] While in the Optimist, he found great success at the local level claiming many local regatta and club titles but it wouldn't be until his progression to the ILCA, formally known as the Laser, where he'd prove his ability.

In 2015, he stepped into the Laser winning the South Coast Championships in the smaller 4.7 rig (known today as the ILCA 4). Similarly to his Optimist he continued to achieve local titles at club and regatta level. 2018 and 2019 saw him compete at multiple UK World & European Qualifier events, though a string of bad luck with broken masts and kit malfunctions prevented any further progression steps in the ILCA class until later years.

The RVYC boasted a competitive double-handed keelboat fleet, in the National Squib class. Keen members of the club provided Harry and his brothers with the opportunity to sail in the class starting in 2014 and develop on a different type of sailing compared to dinghies. With practice and the generosity of the National Squib class, Harry and his brothers were able to compete at events including the prestigious Cowes Week, Nationals, Inlands and South Coast Championship events.[7]

Island Games

After his junior progression in the Optimist and Laser, he set his sights on competing at the Island Games, which is a biennial multi sport event consisting of competitors from 24 islands or island groups around the world.[8] Harry was selected to represent Team Isle of Wight at the 2019 Island Games in the Laser Radial (ILCA 6). Team Isle of Wight finished 7th in the team standings[9] and Harry ended the regatta in 10th individually.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guernsey Island Games were postponed until 2023. In this time, Harry moved from the ILCA 6 to the ILCA 7 rig. Once again he was selected to represent Team Isle of Wight. This time round saw the Isle of Wight sailors net consistent results across both fleets securing Team Silver medals. Individually, he placed 6th in the ILCA 7 individual rankings. This marked the first Isle of Wight sailing team medal since the 2015 Island Games in Jersey, which previously saw Team Isle of Wight take Silver.

ILCA 6
(Laser Radial)		21Dominic Breen-Turner
2535
ILCA 7
(Laser Standard)		 [10] 202130
Team Event
Thomas Lindström
Per Sahlberg
Johan Sundblom
Erik Wahlsten 		142 [11]
Alex Downer
Noah Evans
Charlie White
Harry White 		157
Dominic Breen-Turner
Josh Metcalfe
Ryan Seddon
Michael Thorne 		175

Sailing Achievements

Post COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a turning point for Harry as he gained better and more consistent results at various sailing regattas and events in addition to breaking a Guinness World Record.[12]

World Record

On the 7th of September 2021, Harry set sail from the RVYC with the task of breaking the world record for The greatest distance sailed in a single-handed dinghy in 12 hours. The Solent proved to be a reliable stretch of water to attempt such a challenge. With the assistance of a safety rib, he was able to beat the record setting the new mark to 107.64 km.[13] In fall of 2023, the record was broken by Thomas McEvoy from Mooloolaba, Australia as he sailed 125.60 km on the 17th of May. Harry has since stated that he would be eager to attempt reclaiming his record.[14]

Cowes Week & British Young Sailors of the Year

Cowes Week has proved to be a regatta where Harry and his brothers Thomas & Charlie have shone in the National Squib class. First competing in Cowes Week and Cowes Classics Week back in 2015[15] using an RVYC owned Squib, Alice (777).[16] Over the seasons, Harry and his brothers improved on their setup and competitiveness. After taking ownership of their Squib, Kestrel (835) the brothers proceeded to compete at the front of the fleet, assisted by their in-depth knowledge of the local Solent area. In 2022, they became the first team to win both the Musto Young Skippers Trophy[2] and the Under 25 Team Trophy.[3] This historic achievement led them to be nominated and subsequently crowned British Young Sailors of the Year 2022[17] at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Knightsbridge. This was also the first time any set of triplets had won such a prestigious award in British sailing history.[18]

Following on from his success at Cowes Week back in 2022, Harry and his brothers raced in defence of their titles. A windy regatta in 2023 led to a number of on the water incidents across the fleets. After a week of intense Solent racing, they became the first team in history to successfully defend the Under 25 Team Trophy[19] sponsored by Montgomery Estate Planning.[20] They lost their defence of the Musto Young Skippers Trophy by only 1.55 points to Palaver[21] and finished 3rd in the Squib Class overall for a second year running. Harry and his brothers remain the most successful youth team to have ever competed in Cowes Week.

Other significant achievements

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Porter . Sarah . 2022-12-01 . The British Yachting Awards 2022 . 2024-01-18 . The Chelsea Magazine Company . en.
  2. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-18 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  3. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-18 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  4. Web site: 18 January 2024 . Greatest distance sailed in a single-handed dinghy in 12 hours .
  5. Web site: 2022-08-31 . Three's Not A Crowd : First-Class Triplets Graduate Today . 2024-01-18 . University of Portsmouth . en.
  6. Web site: Champion of Champions OnBoard Festival - Fun team racing . 2024-01-18 . www.sail-world.com.
  7. Web site: 2016-07-21 . The countdown's on for Cowes Week 2016 . 2024-01-18 . Practical Boat Owner . en-US.
  8. Web site: International Island Games Association IIGA . 2024-01-18 . www.iiga.org.
  9. Web site: NatWest Island Games XVIII Gibraltar 2019 Results Sports Sailing Sailing Team Event . 2024-01-18 . www.gibraltar2019results.com.
  10. News: 2023 Island Games: Guernsey's Andrew Bridgman wins sailing gold . BBC Sport . 13 July 2023.
  11. Web site: ISLE OF WIGHT SET FOR TOP 5 FINISH AFTER GOLDEN DAY 5 IN NATWEST ISLAND GAMES . 14 July 2023.
  12. Web site: Isle Of Wight Sailor Buoyant After Dinghy World Record Attempt . 2024-01-18 . Isle of Wight Radio . en.
  13. News: 2021-09-08 . Isle of Wight sailor claims dinghy sailing record . 2024-01-18 . BBC News . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Eberlin . David . 2023-07-04 . Tom Mcevoy record . 2024-01-18 . Notts County Sailing Club . en-GB.
  15. Web site: White Brothers Racing . 2024-01-18 . whitebrothersracing.co.uk. 4 October 2023 .
  16. Web site: 3 boys in a Squib: Triplets set for Charles Stanley Cowes Classics Week . 2024-01-18 . www.yachtsandyachting.com.
  17. Web site: Porter . Sarah . 2022-12-01 . The British Yachting Awards 2022 . 2024-01-18 . The Chelsea Magazine Company . en.
  18. Web site: Vrba . Helen . 2022-12-01 . Isle of Wight triplets win the British Yachting Awards Young Sailor of the Year Trophy . 2024-01-18 . Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight . en-GB.
  19. Web site: ISLAND TRIPLETS WIN UNDER 25 TROPHY AT COWES WEEK 2023 .
  20. Web site: Winners of U25 Trophy at Cowes Week 2023 . 2024-01-18 . www.montgomeryep.co.uk . en.
  21. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-18 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  22. Web site: Isle of Wight OnBoard Festival - HRH Princess Royal meets the teams . 2024-01-19 . www.sail-world.com.
  23. Web site: Champion of Champions OnBoard Festival - Fun team racing . 2024-01-19 . www.sail-world.com.
  24. Web site: 2023-07-31 . UKLA . 2024-01-19 . UKLA . en-US.
  25. Web site: RESULTS National Squib Association . 2024-01-19 . en-GB.
  26. Web site: HOME . 2024-01-19 . EWCC . en.
  27. Web site: Sailing Results . 2024-01-19 . www.rorc.org.
  28. Web site: NatWest Island Games XVIII Gibraltar 2019 Results Sports Sailing Laser Radial Rig . 2024-01-19 . www.gibraltar2019results.com.
  29. Web site: NatWest Island Games XVIII Gibraltar 2019 Results Sports Sailing Sailing Team Event . 2024-01-19 . www.gibraltar2019results.com.
  30. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-19 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  31. Web site: EVENING RACE SERIES 2023 : Island Sailing Club . 2024-01-19 . members.islandsc.org.uk.
  32. Web site: Brading Haven Yacht Club Racing results BHYC Mermaid Gin Regatta Fast 2022 . 2024-01-19 . results.bhyc.org.uk.
  33. Web site: admin . 2022-05-25 . X-Yachts Solent Cup - Event Report . 2024-01-19 . Royal Southern Yacht Club . en-GB.
  34. Web site: Brading Haven Yacht Club Racing results Icebreakers Series Fast 2022 . 2024-01-19 . results.bhyc.org.uk.
  35. Web site: HalSail Results . 2024-01-19 . halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com.
  36. Web site: Dinghy Racing results Platinum Jubilee - Squibs 2022 Royal Victoria Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . rvyc.iws8.co.uk.
  37. Web site: Dinghy Racing results Fast Handicap - Autumn 2022 Royal Victoria Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . rvyc.iws8.co.uk.
  38. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-19 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  39. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-19 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  40. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-19 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  41. Web site: Dinghy Racing results Fast Handicap - Frostbite 2023 Royal Victoria Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . rvyc.iws8.co.uk.
  42. Web site: Dinghy Racing results Commissioning Cup Dinghies 2023 Royal Victoria Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . rvyc.iws8.co.uk.
  43. Web site: Dinghy Racing results Creek Race Handicap 2023 Royal Victoria Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . rvyc.iws8.co.uk.
  44. Web site: Dinghy Racing results Fast Handicap - Autumn 2023 Royal Victoria Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . rvyc.iws8.co.uk.
  45. Web site: Brading Haven Yacht Club Racing results Icebreaker Fast 2023 . 2024-01-19 . results.bhyc.org.uk.
  46. Web site: Brading Haven Yacht Club Isle of Wight dinghy sailing . 2024-01-19 . results.bhyc.org.uk.
  47. Web site: Home : Sea View Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . www.svyc.org.uk.
  48. Web site: HalSail Results . 2024-01-19 . halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com.
  49. Web site: HalSail Results . 2024-01-19 . halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com.
  50. Web site: HalSail Results . 2024-01-19 . halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com.
  51. Web site: HalSail Results . 2024-01-19 . halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com.
  52. Web site: Seaview Village Regatta . 2024-01-19 . www.seaviewvillageregatta.co.uk.
  53. Web site: Royal Victoria Yacht Club . 2024-01-19 . www.rvyc.org.uk.
  54. Web site: Bembridge Sailing Club Isle of Wight . 2024-01-19 . www.bembridgesailingclub.org.
  55. Web site: Round the Island Race - Results for the 2023 race . 2024-01-19 . www.roundtheisland.org.uk.
  56. Web site: HalSail Results . 2024-01-19 . halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com.
  57. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-19 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  58. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-19 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  59. Web site: Limited . Cowes Week . Cowes Week - Overall results . 2024-01-19 . www.cowesweek.co.uk.
  60. Web site: Island Games Results Guernsey 2023 Sports Sailing Sailing Team Event . 2024-01-19 . results.guernsey2023.gg.
  61. Web site: Island Games Results Guernsey 2023 Sports Sailing ILCA 7 . 2024-01-19 . results.guernsey2023.gg.

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