Smooth sailing
Josh Junior takes on Worser Bay. Photo: Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club
“It’s pretty awesome. It’s got to be my best regatta to date,” Junior, 20, said of his sixth placing in his third world championship.
Junior returned home two weeks ago and has been given a recovery break from training. The initial cardio training starts again soon, then he gets back on the water.
The Lyall Bay man started sailing with his father at the age of five, going solo at eight. Aged 12, Junior dropped other interests like swimming and soccer to focus solely on sailing and was never found far from the Worser Bay boating club in Seatoun.
Junior has two big goals, which he calls “The 2 Peaks project – an attempt to scale two major peaks of sailing”. The first is to win Olympic gold, the second to win the World Match Racing Championship (a team event).
“Placing at the laser world champs is good because it gets the selectors thinking about you,” Junior says of his Olympic goal. “You’re in their minds as a strong contender.”
In order to get to the 2012 London Olympics, Junior will have to beat Kerikeri’s Andrew Murdoch in a series of qualifying races. Murdoch, 27, placed third at the laser champs this year and was New Zealand’s laser class representative at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.