ABOUT MATILDA
TODAY...
In 2019 I became the Laser Radial Youth World Champion and have been a member of the British Sailing Team since 2019 to begin my Olympic Campaign for Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.
I began studying Psychology at the University of Exeter in September 2020. I am currently balancing my studies and sailing and have been maximising every opportunity as I progress through the ILCA 6 Senior Fleet.
In 2022, I placed 4th at the ILCA 6 European Championships - a real breakthrough regatta for me! At the start of 2024, I placed 16th at the World Champs.
I then went on to win my first ever Senior medal at the Palma World Cup where I finished 3rd, it was also my first time in a Medal Race!! I followed that up a few weeks later by making it into my 2nd medal race at the French Olympic week, finishing 9th. I am really proud of these recent results with the ILCA fleet at its toughest ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer.
I am really looking forward to becoming full-time this summer after graduating and completing my degree. I will be using every opportunity during this big build up to the 2024 Games to learn and gather experience ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles cycle!!
WHERE IT BEGAN...
I was introduced to the water at a very young age when we lived in Suffolk. I have fond memories of my childhood sailing at Aldeburgh Yacht Club with my family. From sailing on the River Alde, crewing the family Lapwing and cruising on the East coast, I certainly got the sailing bug from the start!
We moved to Bermuda with my father’s work and I started sailing in a small boat called an Optimist. At the age of six I was sailing the Oppie on my own and by the age of eight I had begun racing with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. My progression in the Optimist fleet saw me go from winner of the Green Fleet at the Bermuda Nationals onto winning the Team Winner Regatta in Italy and making Gold Fleet at the Optimist European Championships in 2014, aged 12.
I was so lucky to have grown up with such a sea-centred lifestyle. We didn't even have a car when we first moved to Bermuda and so a small motorboat was how I got to school!
TRANSITION FROM JUNIOR TO YOUTH...
In the summer of 2014 my family and I moved back to England. Whilst settling into school and new surroundings I temporarily took a step back from sailing. However early in 2015 I decided to take up the Laser 4.7.
I won my first European title in 2016 as the Under 16 Laser 4.7 European Champion, at the age of 14, and my first World title in 2017 as the Under 17 Laser Radial World Champion, at the age of 15. In addition to these major international championship successes, I also achieved several additional accolades in 2019:
YJA Young Sailor of the Year
Yachts & Yachting Youth Sailor of the Year
TASS Star Award for 'Most Potential'
Winchester District Senior Sportsperson of the Year
In 2018 I won the Silver Medal at the Laser Radial Youth World Championships in Kiel, Germany, I am pleased to say I went one better in 2019 and was crowned Laser Radial Youth World Champion at Kingston, Ontario. I was especially proud of this achievement as during this time I also managed to get A*AB in my A' levels (Psychology, History and French) and secured a place at the University of Exeter to study Psychology!
