Perth to Palma
By Cameron Seagreen
Sailing is extremely physically and mentally demanding of its’ competitors. Whilst these factors make a sailor great, the competitors at the pinnacle of the sport show outstanding abilities to communicate efficiently as a team unit. What separates the America’s Cup sailors from the rest is their ability to not only be well rounded in all areas, but to adapt to every situation they face on the water. In my path to achieve such prestige, I have had to overcome many obstacles, which of most have been in the mind. If there is one piece of advice I can give to young competitors, it is that with every negative come a silver lining. Always think of how a situation can result in your benefit.
As you all may know I haven’t been around the sailing world for long compared to the vast majority of my peers, locally and internationally, yet I have always placed myself in situations of which I can always learn something new. Perth has a great platform for upcoming sailors who aim to improve their knowledge and skills about the sport, which I have taken advantage of to shatter expectations through claiming two World Championship titles on the World Match Racing Tour and achieve numerous podium finishes at other World Championship events. The Warren Jones International Youth Regatta provided me with the chance to practice skills that couldn’t be achieved in training, as it gave me a chance to compete against some of the most talented match racers in the profession, allowing me to learn from my mistakes, improving with each race.
I have been a competitor in the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta for a few years now, which has provided me with immense opportunities to sail with some of Perth’s best sailors. In 2018 I competed with a brand-new team, of which some members hadn’t experienced match racing. This posed us with the challenge of developing a team dynamic as we competed in the event, yet we managed to overcome all odds to take the victory, purely due to the fact that all roles in the boat were managed proficiently; yet the determining factor in our success was the outstanding chain of communication between team members. Teamwork is the bread and butter of all sailing.
In recent times I have relocated to Palma de Mallorca to help facilitate my sailing career. Although daunting at first, this has provided me with many new opportunities, allowing me to sail with professional competitors, of which include America’s Cup sailors, Volvo Ocean Race sailors and World Champions alike. Throughout my professional career, I have noticed that many of the worlds top sailors originate from Perth, examples being; Torvar Mirsky, Luke Payne, Kinley Fowler, and the list goes on. I believe this is all a result of the exemplary sailing platform Perth has provided its’ youth sailors, which is why I will continue to support events such as the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta; allowing young sailors to reflect upon their prior knowledge, enhance teamwork capabilities and ultimately forge the foundation to their own sailing careers.
