Since the Laser Radial became Olympic equipment in 2005, RAILEY from Florida, USA, has consistently been the sailor to beat. Ever since she gave the sailing world notice of her talent by taking the bronze medal at the 2002 ISAF Youth Worlds at only 15 years old, one success has followed another. The following year Youth Worlds bronze became gold in one of the most exciting finishes ever at the event, as RAILEY beat Krystal WEIR (AUS) to the title by virtue of taking the bullet ahead of her in the final race. Two years’ later RAILEY was back on top of the Youth World again, this time winning a close battle with China’s Lijia XU.

RAILEY also joined the senior circuit in 2005 and her winning ways continued. A string of victories early in the year were followed the Europeans and then the World title, all this whilst still just 18 years old.

In 2006 the victories kept on coming, with the ISAF World Sailing Games gold medal adding to a rapidly growing collection. However, tough times were ahead. First RAILEY struggled at the light wind Europeans in Italy, coming in 18th. Then on her home waters in Marina del Rey, her defence of the World title came to a disastrous end with a third yellow flag on the final day. That relegated her to 45th and affectively meant she lost the world number one spot she had held for a year.

After two poor results, all of a sudden RAILEY was no longer flavour of the month and the pressure was on at the Olympic Test Event in Qingdao. In true champion style, she produced a career-best performance of character and supreme sailing skill. On unfamiliar waters and in tricky, shifty conditions, she displayed a new found patience and prudence, sailing with a level of consistency unequalled across the fleet. A 3,1,2,2 finish upped the ante and saw RAILEY secure gold in Qingdao before the Medal Race had even begun.

www.sailing.org caught up with the 2006 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year in Helsinki to find out more about a year which has seen the 19 year old experience the full range of highs and lows of Olympic sailing…

With Youth Worlds gold in 2003 © Peter Bentley

World Sailor of the Year

To win this award is a huge achievement for me because, not only did I have accomplishments this year, I also had a lot of struggles and some events that didn’t go so well. To have people recognize that I had sailed good was very meaningful to me because it was a very difficult year for me.

Youth Worlds And Then The Worlds

Going into both events I didn’t have goals as to whether or not I was going to win them. I definitely had it set in my mind that I wanted to, but I wasn’t going to put the pressure on myself to say you have to win this event.

I just went into the event, relaxed and just sailed.

Highlight Of The Year

The Opening Ceremony of the pre-Olympics in China. The affect it had on me – it made realize that all the training and all the sacrifices I’ve made are worth it all. The feeling is indescribable – I just want to go to the Olympics so badly and represent my country and hopefully win a gold medal. That Opening Ceremony really set the standard for me there.

Adapting Her Style

When all the girls transitioned into the boat I was experienced with the speed and the technical part of the boat. Now that everyone is becoming the same speed, I don’t have that advantage anymore so I’ve been forced to change my sailing to be more tactical, more smart. The mistakes that I made before actually hurt now. Before I could work them off with my speed and make up for my mistakes – now I’m forced to stop them.

'I just want to go to the Olympics so badly and represent my country' © Nico Martinez

Coming Up

Pretty much I am training full-time until next year when my pre-trials [US Olympic Team Trials] are. If I win them I’m going to continue sailing full-time after. If I don’t then I’m going to finish up some schooling and break for just a bit. Not give up the sailing, but just not sail everyday like I’ve been doing now. I won’t ever give up sailing, I’ll just try to continue my schooling, finish it up and then just jump right back into sailing again – but I made a promise to my parents, schooling would be done, so that is my deal.

Fighting Back

After the ISAF World Sailing Games I hit a wall. I had been training six months straight and I didn’t do barely any breaks – maybe two weeks total I didn’t sail – and so after that I hit the wall.

I sailed the Holland Regatta and I pulled out from it because I was too tired. Then the Europeans went horrible and the Worlds went horrible and inside my head it was just eating me up. Everyone was talking and I was getting bad press and I was thinking, ‘people are standing by me when I do good, but the minute that I do bad they turn away from me and start talking about me’.

I was just so upset and the thought of not getting out of my slump was eating me up – I was even thinking I need a break from China and not even go, but it was my boyfriend who said, ‘no you’ve got to go to China, we’ll go together'.

We went there and that Opening Ceremony did it for me and everything came back. I went and sailed and had a blast sailing. So now I’m back in the training and I’m enjoying it again, although this time I’m going to do it more wisely than I did before, just doing as much training as I could.

'Enjoy every moment' © Gilles Martin-Raget

Main Challengers

Lijia [XU (CHN)] Sophie [DE TURCKHEIM (FRA)], Anna [TUNNICLIFFE (USA)], Evi [VAN ACKER (BEL)]. Penny CLARK’s [(GBR)] also good. I bet you I’m forgetting names, but right now those are some of the top girls. Then you have other girls that have some amazing events, like Gintare [VOLUNGEVICIUTE] from Lithuania at the Europeans – she sailed amazing. There’s a big group of them and everyone’s just getting better and better each day.

Qingdao Olympic Test Event

I though they were really fun to sail in. It was challenging in your brain because tactically, you had a lot to think about. It wasn’t just who could hike the hardest and who was fastest downwind because everybody was the same speed.

I had the blast there. I didn’t over analyze things and I tried not think ‘oh, this is where the Olympics will be’ – I just took one race at a time.

Starting Out

My parents aren’t boating people at all. They have no clue about sailing. We were at the dentist one day, I was five at the time and my brother [Zach RAILEY (USA)] was eight, and they mentioned to my brother that he should go try a learn-to-sail programme. So my mum took him and he tried it out.

I had to wait until I was eight to start sailing, so would I travelled to all his Opti events. My brother became an extremely good sailor in Optis and I really looked up to him and I wanted to be exactly like him. So the first day when I got into the Opti I can remember I was so excited and from then on I just fell in love with it.

Words Of Advice

Results and everything, especially at a young age, aren’t everything. When you’re in Optis and the other boats that young kids sail, have a good time and just enjoy every moment you can. When you get older just remember that you sail because you love it. The whole reason why you start is just for the love of the sport and you should keep it that way.

View Paige RAILEY's (NZL) year in pictures .

World Sailor Podcast

Sailing fans can relive the tension as the winners were announced and watch all the best action from the Awards Ceremony in a Podcast of the event.

In order to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes you need to:

• In iTunes go to the toolbar menu, pull down Advanced > Subscribe to podcast
• Enter the URL - http://www.appftp.com/apppodcast/worldsailor06.xml
• Go to the Podcast section of your iTunes and you should see the new entry, with titles etc.
• Once it is downloaded you can watch in iTunes, and sync with iPod

For other MP3 and MP4 music and video players, consult instructions on how to subscribe to podcasts and downloads.

Browser Download

For wishing to download directly rather than through an MP4 video player, open a browser and insert the following link - http://www.appftp.com/apppodcast/worldsailor06.mp4.  

About The Awards

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards Dinner and Presentation takes place on 7 November 2006 at the Wanha Satama, an historic warehouse in the heart of Helsinki, Finland.

Each winner will be presented with the coveted ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Trophy and a Rolex timepiece at a ceremony that will honour the achievements of all of the nominees. This gala occasion will be attended by the nominees and eminent guests from the sailing world, and the renowned sailor, yachting journalist and Rolex Ambassador Gary JOBSON (USA) will act as Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

For more information on the eleven nominees and their achievements CLICK HERE.

To view the World Sailor Photo Gallery of the nominees in action CLICK HERE.

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards is taking place during the ISAF Annual Conference.