November 8, 2024
2 minutes reading time
First ever female Young World Sailor of the Year Ewa Lewandowska charts a new course in the 49erFX
At just 18, Poland’s Ewa Lewandowska was already a two-time youth world champion and European champion in the skiff, but now she can add the 2024 female Young World Sailor of the Year to her list of accolades – capping off a stellar year for the rising star.
Lewandowska secured gold in the women’s 29er at the 2023 Youth World Sailing Championships in Buzios with partner Julia Maria Zmudzinska, then won gold at the 2024 Youth World Sailing Championships in Lake Garda as well as the 2024 29er European Championships in the mixed category with new team-mate Krzysztof Krolik. The pair also won the 29er Open Mixed World Championship, finishing second overall, and the 29er EuroCup at Kieler Woche.
2024 Youth Sailing World Championship, Lake Garda, Italy. The world’s brightest talents will put on a show between 13-20 July for a shot at sailing glory with medals up for grabs across 11 events on Italy’s largest lake. The 29er Skiff, 420, ILCA 6 as well as the Mixed Two Person Multihull, the Nacra 15 make up the offering of classes and events across the week. More than 400 sailors will descend across five clubs on the lake with a host of countries from around the world represented in the fold, including those on the Emerging Nations Program.The young sailor paid tribute to her teammates and coaches, and outlined her plans for the future, the 49erFX and the Olympic Games – but not before one final 29er regatta, the 2024 29er World Championship in Aarhus.
Speaking at the awards, an emotional Lewandowska said, “It’s just amazing. I am still shaking. I’d like to thank the Polish Sailing Federation for all of their support, my friends and teammates who made training fun, all of the coaches who motivated me to improve, especially my 29er coach Kajetan Jablonski, and of course, my family. They have supported me since day one, and they are my role models to be better. They make me want to sail and do what I love.
“This award is going to push me to work harder. I am training on the 49erFX. It’s a fun boat and I will do my best.”
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Having already stepped up from 420 to 29er, Ewa will look to use this experience to take on the 49erFX events. She says that the fast pace of the 29er competition is the most challenging aspect of the competition, where just one mistake can cost places, and the crew must make smart decisions quickly together to keep up.
It is this speed that attracts Ewa to the 49erFX, and with the prospect of Olympic sailing and the potential for a long career on the horizon, Lewandowska may well be one of the names to watch out for at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.