Sailing Through My Eyes

Loui, England

Goal Click are teaming up with SailGP to capture the spirit of the league through the eyes of its fans to showcase the emotion, energy, and personal journeys that surround SailGP events.

This series tells the stories of fans across North America and Europe as they experience the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix and the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth.

Loui is a nine-year-old sailor from London who dreams of becoming a professional one day. He attended the SailGP Grand Prix in Portsmouth with his parents, Alex and Gabi, where his love for high-speed sailing was brought to life.

My name is Loui. Both of my parents are Brazilian, but I was born in London and I am nine years old. I started sailing after going on a learn to sail course, and now, I sail most weekends and take as many courses as I can to get better.

When I am on the boat, I feel like a real sailor at sea, even if I am just at a small dock. I imagine I am on a huge yacht speeding across the water. I love seeing the sail fill with wind, the birds flying nearby, and the small waves behind the hull. My favourite part is hiking out and balancing the boat as it heels. It is exciting, and that is why sailing has become such a big part of my life.

Discovering SailGP

I first discovered SailGP while watching sailing videos online to improve my skills. I loved the high-tech designs and watching the boats fly around the racecourse with two hulls out of the water.

The most memorable moments for me are the dramatic ones like capsizes, crashes, and nose dives. They remind me of my own sailing challenges, especially how dangerous capsizing can be when heading downwind.

I also study the strategy like how the teams line up at the start, choose their path, and make fast decisions. I try to think like that when I race.

I support Emirates GBR because Dylan Fletcher is one of my favourite sailors. He is winning more and more! I also cheer on Martine Grael on Mubadala Brazil, because my family is Brazilian and she has improved a lot.

Unforgettable Moments

I had the chance to meet some of the SailGP athletes in person in Portsmouth and take photos with them. It was unbelievable! The best part of the weekend was seeing Emirates GBR finish second in the final.

The crowd in the grandstand was amazing as they cheered, supported, and enjoyed all the activities, like the wingfoiling show and the grinding challenge.

I was so excited to walk into the race stadium and see the boats foiling right in front of me. They were so close! It was amazing to see how big and colourful they were, how fast they went, and how the teams controlled them. We even saw the racing finish right in front of us!

But the best part of all was meeting four of the pro sailors after the races. It was amazing to talk to them and take photos. I never thought I would get to meet them!

It felt completely different from watching on TV. At home, I see the lines and the countdowns. But, when I was there, everything was clearer. Watching the boats line up for the start was like entering another world.

Sketching And Sailing

I love drawing, and SailGP has inspired me to create even more art! I enjoy sketching colourful boats with all their cool shapes and logos. I also love playing with my toys, but I did not have a SailGP boat to play with, so my dad helped me build some model boats in my room.

At first, I made them out of LEGO. But then my dad got excited about the idea too, and we started making more detailed boats out of cardboard. That way, I could copy the team colours and designs, and even make up my own!

We also started learning about the SailGP racecourse and the rules. Some parts, like figuring out who has the right-of-way, were a bit tricky. I tried using those same rules during my sailing practice. So, building and playing with the models helped me understand both SailGP and how to improve my own sailing skills.

Soon, the play sessions with my dad turned into something bigger. We had an idea to make a game to practise the race rules using the model boats. After playing it over and over, we turned it into a board game! My dad even drew it all out, and we got to show it to the actual SailGP team.

Now, SailGP is something my dad and I love together. And then the best part was that we got to a live SailGP event as a family!

Standing Out

SailGP stands out from other sports because the boats race against the wind and the athletes have to work together perfectly to switch sides, choose routes, and keep the boat balanced so they do not capsize.

When I explain SailGP to my friends, I say that it is still a race because first to finish wins, but it is also more than that because of the strategy involved. While a basic understanding of the boat and the rules helps, the sport is accessible and once you understand it, it becomes very exciting. And the boats are cool!