Issue date
Ali Nightingale is a 16 year old from Charteris Bay in Canterbury who will represent New Zealand in the Girl’s Laser Radial at this year’s ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Portugal.
Competing in April at the RYA Youth National Champs Ali placed 2nd in the women’s youth fleet and she went on to compete in her first European ISAF Sailing world Cup event in Hyeres, France.
This will be her first ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships.
Q&A with Ali Nightingale
Q: How did you get into sailing?
A: Went with a friend to a learn to sail course at Charteris Bay
Q: Favourite thing to eat after a long day on the water?
A: Pasta
Q: Favourite place to sail?
A: Charteris Bay
Q: Which New Zealand sailors do you admire most?
A: Molly Meech, Alex Maloney, Josh Junior
Q: What is the best thing about sailing your youth class boat?
A: Laser Radial is an Olympic class so it has given me opportunities to race with the best Radial sailors in the world at ISAF World Cup regattas.
Q: How will you prepare for the Youth Worlds and which regattas will you be attending in the lead-up?
A: Continue working on my fitness and sail as much as I can, attending youth camps and training in Auckland and Christchurch. I attended the RYA youth nationals in Weymouth and Hyeres World Cup Regatta in France.
Q: What was the most proud moment of your sailing to date, and tell us how you felt?
A: Getting selected for the 2014 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team and being offered a place in Santander for the ISAF Sailing World Championships. I am very excited and proud to represent New Zealand at these regattas.
Click here for sailor profiles on all the 2014 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team
