15 January 2024 – South African sailor Andy Tarboton has given credit to several sources of inspiration after his victory at the Musto Skiff World Championships in Sydney over the weekend – including the Springbok rugby team.
“I took inspiration from various articles I have read about the Springbok rugby team and how they fight for every inch, being prepared to put their bodies on the line and how they are willing to go to dark places mentally when training or playing matches,” said Tarboton.
“I believe South Africans generally have a mental grit that makes them tough competitors, and I tried to apply this philosophy to my sailing too.”
Tarboton was level on points with Australian Jon Newman heading into the final day of racing in Sydney, with the South African securing second place in the penultimate race while Newman finished fourth. A third place for Tarboton in the 11th and final race of the championships was then enough to secure the overall title after also claiming two wins and three second places over the four days of racing.
The KZN sailor, who is currently based in the UK, admitted he has been overwhelmed by the response to his victory.
“I am totally honoured to have represented South African Sailing and Henley Midmar Yacht Club at the Worlds in Sydney. I have received a call from Mr [Barry] Hendricks, president of SASCOC, and have seen that the Minister of Sport has put up a post about the win – I am totally blown away by this and truly hope it can inspire future South African sailors to pursue their dreams.”
Tarboton said the secret to his success was distracting himself on his off days and exploring Sydney, a city in which he was particularly pleased to achieve the win.
“Sydney was a very special place to be sailing because of its rich history in high-performance skiffs,” he said. “It was an incredibly tough week both mentally and physically with a field of 36 competitors including multiple past world champions, Olympic athletes, and high-profile names within the sport.
“This was a difficult challenge from the start of the first race and my victory was only confirmed as I crossed the line in the last race. It will take a while to fully sink in.”
Having reached the podium before but never clinching the title, Tarboton paid tribute to those who have supported his sailing journey.
“This win for me means I have achieved one of my lifetime dreams. I have been trying to win a regatta like this since I was a young boy and this is just so special for me and my family. They have been my rock all through my training and I couldn’t have done it without them.
“I truly hope to inspire and encourage fellow South African sailors, we have a good history within the sport and I would love to see it continue.”
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