When winning doesn’t feel right

by Paloma Arrigo
The 2025 Youth Championships were, for me, the best of times and the worst of times. I want to express my gratitude to my family and my coach for their support, to our sport’s governing body, volunteers, and the host venue for selection and participation in this championship event. At the same time, I hope readers will understand my sense of duty to also raise an important issue to help make our sport better.

What happened at Youth Champs, and what could change
“You haven’t won anything if you don’t have the respect of your competitors.”
– Robert Johnstone, Founder of the Youth Championships for the governing body for competitive sailboat racing

I had no big expectations for myself. I was just excited to race against some of the best youth sailors in the country, learn a lot, and see how I stacked up. I never imagined I’d end the regatta feeling both incredibly proud of my sailing and deeply disappointed in how things played out. – Full report