Sailing sensation eyes worlds
YOUNG sailing sensation Joshua Brooks-Duncan could soon add “world champion” to his already impressive list of achievements, with the rising star set to take on the best boatsmen from around the globe at the World Laser Radial Championships early next month.
YOUNG sailing sensation Joshua Brooks-Duncan could soon add “world champion” to his already impressive list of achievements, with the rising star set to take on the best boatsmen from around the globe at the World Laser Radial Championships early next month.
Brooks-Duncan, who is now in year 11 at Melbourne Grammar School, is currently vying for the World Laser Radial Youth Championships at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Brisbane.
After a tough selection process, Brooks-Duncan is ecstatic he qualified for the events, and he now hopes to make a big impact in both competitions.
“Yeah, it should be really good,” Brooks-Duncan said.
“I’m looking forward to just get straight into [the youth event] and then the men’s world [championships] after that.”
“I’m fairly sure there are a couple of Olympians competing, so it’ll be tough competition … and a good experience.”
The youngster was recently awarded the Yachting Victoria Sailing Cup for 2011-2012 in the Laser Radials class, finishing the season with a score of 38 points, after placing second in both the Sail Sandy competition, and the OAMPS Victorian Youth and Junior Regatta.
“It was good to see a lot of hard years of work pay off,” Brooks-Duncan told The AJN.
“[The competitions] were fairly tough, there were quite a few interstate competitors who came along, so I think the result was pretty good.”
Brooks-Duncan, who turns 17 in July, has achieved a lot in such a short career, racing on his boat Solidify for the Royal Brighton, Sandringham and Sorrento Yacht Clubs.
Racing in several local, state and national events over the last few years, Brooks-Duncan’s best result came with a first-place finish at the South Australia state championships last year.
But one of his greatest achievements so far has been off the water, when he raised $9000 for the Cancer in Kids Association after his bar mitzvah in 2008.
“Yeah it was really good, from my bar mitzvah when I did that,” Brooks-Duncan said.
“Unfortunately we know someone who did pass away from cancer at a very young age, so we’ve got a strong connection with that
organisation.”
With a state competition under his belt, Brooks-Duncan is now looking forward to undertaking the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race and Volvo Ocean Race in the coming years.
And the young gun can certainly see the future prospect of Olympic representation in his sights, although in the meantime he will be concentrating on finishing his schooling career.
“I’m just going to focus on year 12 and see where I go,” Brooks-Duncan said.
Ashley Shenker
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