CampbellManzoni, 19, grew up on a 32m yacht in Hong Kong, and has already made waves as a sailor. He is now training to work on superyachts and make a career out of his passion.
He made the Hong Kong national team in 2010 and his first world championships were in the Laser class after a couple of years of training. His roll call includes world championships in Laser 4.7s, RS Fevas, 29ers (of which he did two world championships and the European championships), and the RS500s in 2013 where he finished fifth overall.
He said: “Sailing has always been a huge part of my life. We lived on a yacht in Hong Kong so I’ve always sailed as a family. Me, my mum, my dad and my three sisters are all sailors. In my final year of school I was applying to uni but what struck me was that I didn’t feel like I loved what I was applying for. So I decided university wasn't for me,and I thought, “What’s my passion?”
“I am fascinated by superyachts and the UKSA Professional Yacht Cadetship seemed the best, as it combined the qualifications with the experience, which really sold it to me. I felt most of the pressure of my A Levels was off, which actually made me get better grades, as I had finally found a course that suited me. I applied for the course and got in.
“UKSA is a cool place, the best place to do these qualifications. Although I’m an experienced sailor all the challenges that I face here are different to what I have been used to, so there are lots of new experiences for me.”
The next intake of the Professional Yacht Cadetship is October, and you can apply now for selection.
