A London teenager selected by Sir Ben Ainslie as a development sailor for his British sailing teams has joined the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team on-board their race boat for the first time.
Kai Hockley, from Tottenham, joined the sailing squad for training sessions on their foiling 50-foot catamaran ahead of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas on 23-24 November.
The 19-year-old was in the Grinder position, which provides the power needed to manoeuvre the wing on the F50. He was training alongside some of the world’s best sailors, including Olympic gold medallists Dylan Fletcher, Hannah Mills and Iain Jensen, as well as three-time America’s Cup athletes Neil Hunter, Nick Hutton and Luke Parkinson.
Kai said: “It was amazing to be on the F50 for the first time with the Emirates GBR team. I’ve been training in the gym all summer on the grinding machine but it feels completely different when you’re actually on the boat. I can’t believe the G-force you feel on there. There’s also so much to think about with having to run from one side of the boat to the other with each manoeuvre, but I can’t wait to get back on there. Being able to train alongside some of the best athletes in the sport and learn from them is incredible.”
In July, Kai was announced as development sailor for Sir Ben’s Athena Sports Group, which includes the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, the INEOS Britannia America’s Cup Team and Athena Pathway Women’s and Youth America’s Cup Teams. He had previously undertaken a six-month internship with the Emirates GBR Shore Team, who help prepare and maintain the F50 for its races around the world.
The first phase of his development programme was joining the INEOS Britannia and Athena Pathway British America’s Cup teams in Barcelona from August-November. As well as working with the shore teams on some of the most technologically advanced boats in the world, the AC75 and AC40, Kai was also training twice a day with the sailing team to prepare for his time on-board the F50 with Emirates GBR. The second phase is now underway, with Kai being given one-hour in the Grinder position on the F50 each day the team trains. He will travel with the crew to 14 events around the world for SailGP’s 2025 Season, as he works towards joining the team as a professional sailor.
Kai was first introduced to sailing by his school, The Greig City Academy in Haringey, London, and has gone on to excel in the sport, winning Young Skipper of The Year at Cowes Week in 2023 and the Youth Sport Trust’s Young Sportsperson of the Year at the Sporting Equals Awards. Despite his success, there was a lack of opportunities in the marine industry that were accessible for Kai, due to them either being short-term or unpaid. This was highlighted to Sir Ben and Emirates GBR’s CMO/CCO Jo Grindley by Greig City Academy Teacher Jon Holt, and together they created a new internship programme which provides long-term, paid opportunities to young people.
Kai was the first intake on the programme and during his six months with the team, his passion and dedication to the sport became apparent with the teen making a 200-mile round trip every weekend to go sailing on the Isle of Wight. Sir Ben’s INEOS Britannia teammate, David ‘Freddie’ Carr, had mentored Kai for several years through his voluntary work with The Greig City Academy and noted the talent he had. After being impressed by Kai’s work with the Emirates GBR shore team, Sir Ben, Freddie, Jo and Jon worked together to create the 12-month development plan for Kai.
Athena Sports Group CEO Sir Ben Ainslie said: “We are committed to supporting the development of young sailors and providing them with the opportunities they need to succeed. Kai Hockley is a really exciting young talent coming through British sailing. It’s great to have him with us as part of the Emirates GBR SailGP Team. We are dedicating time for him to be on-board the F50 on the limited training days we have in SailGP as his progression is super important. I can’t wait to see how he develops throughout the season.”
The first event on SailGP’s 2025 Season, the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas takes place on 23-24 November.
