Two Smithdon High School students have made waves on the international sailing scene, with some fine displays at the Topper World Championships.
Toby and Faith competed against 131 of the world’s best young sailors in the prestigious event, and both excelled in the two-day qualifying rounds.
Toby finished 13th and Faith 16th, securing their places in the elite Gold Fleet.
From there, the competition intensified across three days of finals.
After a stellar performance on day one, Toby led the Gold Fleet overnight and earned the honour of wearing the leader’s bib.
However, light winds meant day two’s racing was cancelled, leaving all to play for on the final day.
Toby held his nerve, finishing joint second overall on points.
Due to a tiebreak system, he was awarded the Bronze medal.
He also claimed the trophy for Top Junior Sailor, recognising him as the highest-ranked competitor under 14 years old.
Meanwhile, Faith’s performance was equally impressive.
She secured 17th place overall and was crowned the second-highest ranked girl in the world.
Both students far exceeded their original goals, which were simply to reach the Gold Fleet and finish in the top 20.
Their success marks the culmination of months of hard work and dedication, and the school has praised their remarkable achievements.
Toby and Faith are now back in training ahead of next week’s Topper Nationals in Largs, Scotland, where they hope to build on their world-class performances.
