Playing the Generation Game

Sailing often proclaims itself as a ’sport for life’, and with good reason. The youngest competitor in Palma is Derin Deniz Sorguc, aged 14, competing for Turkey in the Women’s Formula Kiteboard division. More than four times her age and competing in the Nacra 17 foiling catamaran is the legend from Argentina, Santiago Lange. Now aged 60, Lange is aiming for Paris 2024 with new crew Victoria Travascio, in pursuit of his fourth Olympic medal.

Lange, Olympic Champion from Rio 2016, knows he has a battle to win another medal little more than two years from now. Getting the teamwork right with Travascio, who has just switched from the 49erFX, is perhaps the bigger challenge than his advancing years. Having survived cancer a few years ago, Santi has always focused on keeping himself in shape for the high demands of high-speed foiling. First and foremost he’s thankful still to be able to compete. “For me, it’s just really great to be here in this incredible regatta. We have incredible and really cool classes and now it’s time to focus on showing our beautiful sport to the rest of the world.”

Lange first competed at the Trofeo Sofia Mallorca in 1980, 27 years before Deniz was even born. In the year of her birth, 2007, Lange recalls: “I was finishing the America’s Cup with Victory Challenge in Valencia and rushing on to try to qualify Argentina for the Olympic Games in Beijing.”Derin Deniz is in awe of the achievements of Lange. “I hope I will be competing all my life, to 60 years old and maybe longer,” she says. “And of course one day I would like to win an Olympic gold medal. There is a long way to go. I started three years ago in the Formula Kites and I started to dream about going to the Olympics for my country.”

Asked what advice he would offer the 14-year-old embarking on her first Olympic campaign, Lange replies: “Well I’m not a man of advice, but I’m sure Derin is an outstanding sailor, if she’s already capable of being here and racing in the kitefoiling. I’m so impressed how those guys are racing. These machines are so cool to watch. I think she’s privileged to be able to be in this sport in the new age of foiling. I wish her all the very best. Enjoy, work hard and live life according to your dreams and make sure you continue to perform at the highest level. Many people will be inspired by what you show to be possible.”