My name is Merel Tavenier, I am 15 years old and I’ll be sailing my last races in my Optimist this fall.

What is it like building a sailing career and going to school?

When I was 6 years old I joined my big sister’s team. I think sailing at a high level is super cool. My best friends are all sailors, it is a way of life and I get bored if I’m not able to sail. On the water it’s serious stuff but ashore we do have a lot of fun together.

During the week I start with workouts then after breakfast, I go to school. I am now in the 4th year of secondary school and it is not always easy to combine my sport with school. My school supports my sport and I sometimes get to spend time out on the water while other kids are in the classroom. This sounds great but the time I miss at school I do need to catch up somehow. And my poor father has to always drive me everywhere.

What has been your scariest sailing experience?

During a British Open, I think I was just 10, there was too much wind. On the high seas my boat was tied to a buoy, and I was brought to shore in a mega rib. After the last race my boat did not return to the beach. It turned out to be floating somewhere in the Irish Sea. Ultimately, the boat was found. Now many years later I know how to handle tough conditions, and in fact I prefer to sail with a lot of wind.

What Optimist sails do you use?

I have raced with all the big brands and for last two years I have chosen Ullman Sails. I like the sail very much, it’s so easy to trim in all different conditions and provides good pressure and speed. By now I now know all about the boat handling of an Optimist and this, together with not having to worry about the sail, gives me confidence and more time to think about strategy and tactics. It’s a complex game and I learn from every start and every race.

What does your sailing career look like now?

My last season in the optimist was different from all other seasons due to COVID. All events were canceled due to the strict rules of the government and because of this I could not sail with the Belgian sailing team with which I normally always sail. During the break out I was in Brightlingsea on the East coast of the UK for the Spring Championship, which was cancelled when we were on the ferry to England. Instead of sailing we went to London city, everything was still open and we had a great weekend not sailing.

I am very happy that I was still able to spend many hours sailing this summer despite of all the setbacks. The first event held in Europe after COVID started was the Youth Cup in Saint-Moritz, Switzerland in the J70. By that time we were bored sick spending time at home so we went there to sail the cup together with my Optimist friends. The J70 was a completely new boat to us and despite that we achieved good results with only a couple of hours training. I also went to Lanzarote (Canary Islands) for an optimist clinic. Perfect conditions: constant wind and plenty sunshine, the temperature was not bad either. I also spent lots of time in Medemblik with Pim Stumpel coaching. It’s just great to be out on the water.

At the end of this year I will switch boat class to the 29er. 15 years is the maximum age to compete in the Optimist class. I’ve always been looking forward to sailing the 29er. This summer I did a clinic in the 29er and it was really absolutely cool. The Regatta Center in Medemblik is the base for the 29er. So this is where I will be found in the near future spending as many hours on the water as possible. The 29er is a two-man boat so I will have to find a suitable buddy that I can get along with.