Snellgrove scores top 10 finish at ILCA 6 World Championship

Hannah Snellgrove in action. © Matias Capizzano

Tenth out of 101 sailors for Lymington's Hannah

Britain’s Hannah Snellgrove said there’s “room for improvement” after an impressive top 10 finish at the ILCA 6 World Championship.
 
Snellgrove finished tenth out of 101 athletes from across the globe, improving on her 11th place at the 2023 Worlds. 
 
The 33-year-old said she was happy with the result, the second world top 10 finish of her career, but was “excited” at the prospect of improving further.
 
The six-day regatta, held in Argentinian resort Mar del Plata, saw stormy weather play havoc with the racing schedule, resulting in some long, challenging days on the water.
 
Snellgrove was part of a four-boat British squad which included fellow senior athletes Matilda Nicholls and Daisy Collingridge, as well as Molly Sacker, a member of the British Sailing Squad, the British Sailing Team’s development arm.
 
“It’s been a big old week in Argentina,” said Snellgrove, from Lymington, Hants. “It’s been a really challenging week both mentally and physically. 
 
“There were a few missed opportunities from the week which I’m sad about, but a week ago I would have jumped at the chance to make top 10 as I was pretty poorly after the long-haul flight and didn’t have the ideal build up. 
 
“It’s my second ever top 10 at a world championship so I can’t not be happy with that, but it’s also exciting that I felt that there were plenty of points left out on the racecourse and therefore room for improvement.”

Matilda Nicholls. © Matias Capizzano

Nicholls also sailed a notable regatta, and went into the final day of fleet racing in seventh, however a testing set of races saw her end the week in 16th overall.
 
“It was a week of many emotions,” said Nicholls, 22, from Durley, Hants. “I’m super stoked to have been battling out in the top 10 for most of the week. Going into the final day in seventh was such a cool feeling. 
 
“I’m just so gutted with how it all played out on the last day of fleet racing, but I’m also really proud of myself for bouncing back and winning the final race of the week. It’s exciting to see how my sailing is progressing and with such a competitive fleet I’ve just got to keep at it.”
 
Despite finishing in the top third of the international fleet, Collingridge admitted feeling disappointment at her 32nd place.
 
“Underperforming when it matters is always hard,” the 24-year-old from London said. “I went into this week feeling super prepared but I didn’t execute what I wanted. Luckily I have incredible support from the team and people around me to get me back on track. Massive credit to Hannah and Matilda for performing so well this week. Onwards and upwards.”
 
Full results from the regatta can be found here. The British Sailing Team’s attention now turns to Down Under for the ILCA 7 World Championships in Adelaide, starting on January 26.