Blackwater Sailing Club's Charlie Dixon has his sights set on the Olympics
by Bec Hughes 9 Apr 2023 22:27 BST
YJA Young Sailor of the Year 2022 (l-r) Mark Jardine, Eilidh McIntyre, winner Charlie Dixon, Clifford Webb) © Paul Wyeth / RYA
Charlie Dixon, from Maldon, found out he was the winner of the prestigious Yachting Journalists Association title at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre in February. It came a day after he turned 18 and only weeks after he was named Windsurfer of the Year by the UK Windsurfing Association.
Charlie had a fantastic 2022, finishing the year Youth National iQFoil Champion, iQFoil Youth European Champion, iQFoil International Games Gold Medallist, iQFoil World Champion and World Sailing Official Youth World Champion.
He learnt to sail with his dad Dan from the Club on the Blackwater Estuary, Heybridge. Blackwater Sailing Club was also named the Royal Yachting Association and Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting Magazine East Region Club of the Year 2023.
Charlie said of the Club: "The Blackwater is a great place for windsurfing and a place I love to call home. It provides flat water no matter the wind strength and a massive area for flying around. It can be sailed in any wind direction and it never disappoints.
"I am lucky enough to be able to windsurf all over the world for events and training but I still love to come home and love to come back to the river - on its best day nothing compares to it!"
Charlie now has his sights set on the Paris Olympics 2024 and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and is training regularly with the British Sailing Team in Weymouth.
If you would like to support Charlie's Olympic campaign you can donate on his crowdfunding page.