Saskia Tidey was 23 when she faced a decision that she admits was “the hardest and probably one of the most controversial things I’ll ever do in my life”.
Tidey, born and raised in Dun Laoghaire by an Irish mother and English father, had represented Ireland in the 49erFX at the Rio Olympics, finishing 12th. Following the Games, however, she found herself in a quandary. Her helm, Andrea Brewster, had decided to become a coach, and the Irish sailing team held nobody else suitable for Tidey to partner with.
“For such a small country, Ireland is impressive in most sporting disciplines and I had a fantastic foundation with the Irish Sailing Association,” she says. “We just struggle with numbers coming through the system, especially female helms. There really wasn’t an opportunity for me going forward in Ireland where I felt I could reach the level of performance I needed to medal.”
Tidey decided her sailing future lay across the Irish Sea, where her Sussex-born father meant she was eligible. There was no suggestion that the British Sailing Team had made an approach and the Irish Sailing Association called her decision ‘regrettable’, while Tidey expressed her personal dilemna in the press at the time. Four years on, having been selected with helm Charlotte Dobson to represent Great Britain at the Tokyo Games, she says that for her career “it was the best thing I could have done”.
Bu hikaye Yachts & Yachting dergisinin June 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Yachts & Yachting dergisinin June 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Super, smashing, great
How do you stand out in one of the most competitive sectors of boat building? Sam Jefferson steps aboard the Dufour 390 to find out
ST PETER PORT - GUERNSEY 49°27.19'N, 002°32.00'W
This haven on Guernsey is the ideal starting point to explore the beauty of the Channel Islands, as Emma Bamford discovers
Round the Island Q&A
Dave Atkinson, director of the Round the Island Race, now postponed until the autumn, explains some decisions and breaks down misconceptions about the race in a revealing chat with Rupert Holmes.
The rest is Istria
Nicola Beykirch headed to Venice in search of a cheap winter berth and endured the hardship of sailing the length of the Croatian coast en route
Grinding to a halt
Sent home from warm-weather training in Sardinia amid Covid-19 restrictions, grinder Freddie Carr updates us on what is now for INEOS TEAM UK and the America’s Cup
From a distance
Rob Peake looks at what ‘sailing’ we can do via distance learning courses and online regattas
Flying the flag
Her rise through the ranks has been meteoric and her helm Charlotte Dobson calls her ‘an absolute weapon’. Rob Peake meets 49erFX crew Sakia Tidey
Eire on a shoestring
The Irish sea deserves respect, but the rewards of a summer cruise can be great, as Don Smith notes
Ace Your Club Race
Quirky courses and mixed fleets - Mark Rushall talks tactics and sorts strategy for club race situations
WIZARDS IN OZ
After Ainslie’s spectacular series debut, ROB KOTHE speaks to SailGP skippers on the lessons learned in Sydney, and finds out what’s next from Russell Coutts