Scarlett Hadley seeks to inspire with her sailing

Sixteen-year-old Scarlett Hadley’s participation in the XIX Pan American Games, which ended last Sunday, November 5, in Santiago, Chile, means more than mere participation for the young Vincentian.

Hadley, the first person from St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to enter the Games, said she hopes to inspire others.

“Being the first Vincentian to compete in Sailing at the Pan Am Games, I hope that I can inspire others and make Sailing bigger in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Hadley related.

Hadley made her entry to the world of competitive Sailing when she competed on Saturday, October 28, in conditions foreign to her, in the waters of Confradia Nautica del Pacifico in Algarrobo.

Reflecting on her experience, she said: “It was my first time sailing in the cold with a wet suit…It was a lot of waves the winds here are a lot stronger, but I was able to complete my races and that is good, it is an achievement for me”.

Punching above her class in the Dinghy ILCA 6, Hadley was asked to pit her skills against seasoned sailors from North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.

In her nine races, Hadley placed 17th in six of them and 16th in the other three.

Showing constant improvement, Hadley was able to reduce her time of eight minutes behind the winner, to a mere four.

The exposure has taught Hadley lessons that she can share with her peers and others.

“I have learned a lot from this experience… It is a truly amazing opportunity to compete at this level,” Hadley related.

Meanwhile, Jenny Trumble, President of the SVG Sailing Association and head coach who travelled with Hadley, assessed her performance as refreshing.

“In my 40 years of coaching, I have rarely seen such improvements in six days… Scarlett has transformed from a National Sailor to an International Sailor from her six-day experience at the Pan American Games,” Trumble said.

Trumble noted that with her feet whetted by the rigours of international Sailing, Hadley should be more at home when she participates in the Youth World Sailing Championships in Buzios, Brazil, December 8 to 16, 2023.

Hadley began with the Vincy Sailing Club seven years ago and took part in her first competition, when she entered the Bequia Junior Regatta, in 2018.

Since then, she has progressed, impressing World Sailing Coach Rob Holden. In 2020, Hadley was chosen to be part of the World Sailing Emerging Nations Programme.

Earlier this year, the Pan Am Sailing Organisation offered Hadley a place in the XIX Pan American Games.