Sam Carderon - Racing

Ilca 4-6-7 (2020-2025)

I started sailing this class at the age of 14 and continued for several years. Although I never achieved the results I was aiming for, the class gave me a strong foundation in both boat handling and racing. I was able to consistently sail the boat at competitive speeds and could trade blows with some of the strongest sailors in the Spanish fleet. Where I struggled was in big-fleet racing, particularly making the right tactical and strategic decisions and executing good starts. Limited funding meant I was only able to compete in around two major events per year, which made gaining experience—and managing the nerves that came with bigger events—more difficult.

The class taught me a great deal about the fundamentals of sailing: understanding airflow over the sails, water flow around the foils, how the boat reacts to different inputs, and how to help it perform at its best. With close racing being a constant feature, knowing the rules inside out was essential, and learning and applying the rules remains one of my favourite parts of racing.

I eventually stopped sailing the class after moving away from my club, but the experience provided a foundation that I continue to rely on today.

Butxaca — Dufour 34 (2022–2025)

Butxaca was my first real introduction to yacht racing. A small but competitive Dufour 34 with a seven-person crew, she performed well for her age and rating, and gave me the opportunity to build my first substantial experience in keelboat racing.

I sailed as bowman for three years while simultaneously training and racing in the ILCA 7. During this period, I took part in around 20–22 events, including two Spanish Yacht Nationals qualifications. Much of my early development and practical understanding of yacht racing was developed on this boat.

The skipper had very specific standards and expected everything to be done in a particular way. Learning to work within those expectations, while hard and demanding, taught me the precision, consistency and adaptability my role requires to execute certain said tasks. I became particularly reliable in hoists, drops, mark roundings and kite packing, while also developing an understanding of mainsail trim and rig setup. I began to see how these different elements could be combined to create a more balanced and efficient boat.

We consistently achieved strong regional results and became one of the leading teams in the Canary Islands, despite the limitations of the boat and a relatively small budget.

Spanish Yacht Nationals — 2024 & 2025:

5th and 7th

The Spanish Nationals were particularly valuable experiences. The format consisted of short, intense races with six boats racing in groups. The first two days were qualification races, followed by two days of finals where the fleet was split into different groups and the scores reset. The conditions in both events was mainly light and unstable. A very hard and unforgiving event strategy wise, I was glad to not be making the calls. We reached the Gold Group on both occasions, although we were unable to progress beyond 5th place.

Racing at this level gave me the opportunity to compete against some of the best sailors in Spain. It was also one of my first experiences of seeing sailors who I would later encounter again at events such as the Copa del Rey.

44th Copa del Rey MAPFRE — Wanderlust, Italia 998 (2026)

7th — ORC C

The Copa del Rey is one of my favourite events I have sailed so far. The venue, fleet and intensity of the racing made it a very different experience from the racing I had previously done in the Canary Islands.

I was particularly happy with my own performance throughout the regatta, especially my consistency during hoists and drops. Although we did not achieve the overall result we had hoped for, I remained positive and focused on what could be learned from the experience.

The regatta taught me a great deal about risk-reward decision-making. With a large, competitive fleet, small tactical decisions can have significant consequences, and I began to appreciate more clearly how much successful yacht racing depends on making the right decision at the right moment rather than simply sailing the boat quickly.

It also gave me a better understanding of the importance of communication and decision-making within a larger team, and reinforced my desire to compete at this level and continue developing as a professional sailor.