Co-tournament director of the Allianz Youth Sailing World Championships is Dorian van Rijsselberghe, who won Olympic gold on the RS:X windsurfing board at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Van Rijsselberghe looks back at his own participation in the Youth Worlds with great fondness. “What applied to me, and I think to many participants in this tournament, was that at the Youth Sailing World Championships you were introduced to the best sailors from other countries for the first time. You are naturally very curious about how good your peers from other countries are. To be able to sail against them and to see who is really the best, that is what I really liked.”
Even for a serial winner like the double Olympic Champion, fun comes first and foremost when taking part in high-level competition. “For both the participants and the spectators: enjoy it! This is a wonderful experience with lasting memories. But if I have to highlight something: it is fascinating to see what happens on the beach and in the harbour before the future champions join the battle on the water.”
