Healy Ryan - NSW/ACT Youth Sailor of the Year 2024

We are pleased to announce one of our own youth sailors Healy Ryan has won the 2024 NSW/ACT Youth Sailor of the Year award.

At 14 years old Healy moved from competing in the ILCA4 to ILCA6 in August 2023. His first event was WA Youths where he received coaching from ‘Swifto’, Chris Charlwood and Zoe Thompson. Healy won that event and his enthusiasm left such an impact that Zoe invited him to join her squad’s ILCA6 training camp when it was next in Sydney.

Next event was Coasts where he came 3rd overall, followed by the AST/ASS/ASF women’s training camp where he was warmly welcomed by an amazing squad who were very generous with their time and knowledge. A few weeks later in Canberra for the NSW & ACT states where, as an U15 year old, Healy won the ILCA6 title overall (as well as U17 age title). Next it was south to Melbourne for some training with the DBSC youth program in breezy conditions incorporating Vic states and Sail Melbourne where he was 2nd U19 and 1st U17. During these regattas the ASS women, like Mara & Zoe, would give him tips between races on how he could improve in various conditions. Two weeks later he won Sail Sydney open overall (female and male separated event).

January brought him to Adelaide for Nationals where he won the U17 ILCA6 national title and came 4th overall. His Nationals results in U19 also qualified him for the Australian Youth Squad. In March, he headed to Hobart and won the ILCA6 Open title (including U17 title). He then damaged his ankle ligaments meaning for the next 10 weeks he chose to keep sailing but hiked off his shins. March then included coming 2nd overall at Metros and leading his school to a podium spot at the NSW State Schools teams racing regatta.

Back down to Victoria in April for the Youth Squad training and VIC youth champs where he was on the wrong end of countback from a 3 way tie for 1st. Back to Sydney with clubs wrapping up for the season he was fortunate enough to win the much sought after Sally Gordon Trophy for ILCA6 Club Champion at the Double Bay Sailing Club, also winning the HHSC ILCA6 Club Championship. Then in June won the ILCA 6 East Coast Championships at Georges River.

As the ILCA6 worlds were in Argentina in January, the major ILCA6 youth event of the Northern hemisphere summer was the ILCA6 U19 European Championships, bringing with it the 2024 Youth Worlds Champions and ILCA4 & ILCA6 World Champions. With the help of some great coaches, a near new Devoti and a second-hand sail bought from Brooke W. he took on the 247 boat boys fleet. After 3 days of qualifying, he was ranked 1st in Gold Fleet and continued to chalk up great results to go on and win the U17 European title and to be 2nd in the overall European championships.

So, his second year sailing a ILCA, and his first in an ILCA6, was an extraordinary year by any measure. But they don’t come out of thin air. The DBSC and its youth program was at the heart of this transformative year for Healy. This and the foundations formed at HHSC (another volunteer club) are just some of the essential ingredients that enabled Healy’s joy of sailing to lead to on-water results recognised by his receiving the 2024 NSW/ACT Youth Sailor of the Year. Without the enormous contribution from the volunteers and the willingness of past and present sailors to impart their knowledge, the youth sailors in NSW are without a rudder.

State winners are nominated for the National awards, and it has just been announced that Healy is one of three finalists for the Australian Youth Sailor of the Year, to be decided in November.
It’s been a great first 12 months in the ILCA6 Healy, Congratulations!