Sri Lanka sailors mapping out own journey on world stage

The Sri Lankan dinghy sailors did not have a well-trodden path to follow or vast sailing knowledge to learn from but still find themselves toe-to-toe with the world’s best at the Youth Sailing World Championships 2024.

The Youth Emerging Nations Program means the ILCA 6 pair have been given the time and coaching to master a craft they hope will serve them for many years to come in competitive racing.

Tranchell, 18, who grew up glued to her TV watching the Olympics never knew which sport she would seriously pursue but something clicked into place when she set out on the water for the first time.

“I tried rowing for a while and my parents were swimmers but it didn’t work out,” she said. “I loved sailing because it was never boring.

“In Sri Lanka, sailing is not a huge sport – we have three main clubs and the Emerging Nations Program helps people like me who don’t have the ability to come easily for an event like this.
“They provide us with everything and it makes it so much easier for us to be able to compete.

“I’ve learned a lot from Susannah (Chapman) and the other coaches, I saw the drones and the tracking is cool because we don’t usually get to use that.”

“Sailors from all corners of the world join together under one sailing programme” ⛵️@WorldSailing‘s Emerging Nations Programme is helping sailors like Taalya Tranchell and Omar Hazari from Sri Lanka compete on a global stage 🇱🇰#YouthSailingWorlds pic.twitter.com/Idz5LeAY9L

— Youth World Sailing (@youthworlds) July 16, 2024

Tranchell, who regularly trains with the Sri Lankan navy, secured a top 10 finish at the Asian Games last year and also made her ILCA 4 Youth World Championships debut in Greece.

And despite not coming from a traditional sailing family herself, the 18-year-old has managed to get her nearest and dearest equally as hooked on the sport.

“I’m trying to gain experience and see what the world is like and do my best to get to the highest level,” she said.

“My dad used to sit and watch me sail but then someone from the club asked them to come and sail with them, every Sunday we have a race at our club so he happily goes and my siblings have also started sailing too.”

Hazari shares a story which is akin to Tranchell with the pair both hailing from the same club in Colombo.

Following a presentation at school, the 17-year-old was one of three students who chose to give the sport a go and insists it was one of the best decisions he has ever made.

Hazari shares similar ambitions to his national teammate but believes the Youth Sailing World Championships on Lake Garda is a learning experience which has been just as valuable off the water as well as on it.

“It’s a blending of cultures, it’s a fusion of ethnicities from across the world all in one sailing program,” he said.

“We stay at the same venue where we laugh a lot and discuss our strategies.

“We’ve all achieved a great amount from meeting each other and experiencing each other’s beliefs and bonding.

“Coming into the ENP and the Youth Sailing World Championships has opened my reach on sailing, it has shown me that anything is possible when you dedicate your time and put anything in.

“It has truly shown me what other sailors are capable of and if you put the work in, I believe that anyone can go far.”