16-year-old Eliza Pritchard is sailing towards her dream of competing at the British Youth Sailing Worlds this year, and maybe even the 2028 LA Olympics.

Based in Exmouth, Eliza started sailing when she was just eight years old. Now 16 she rows, swims, paddle boards, kayaks and even races dinghies competitively but her true passion is sailing at top speeds around the South West coast in her Nacra 15 catamaran.

With the potential to continue sponsorship after this first year, Eliza is now officially a youth ambassador for the water company and you will see her branded boat skimming the seas near Plymouth for training or competing in sailing events around the UK.

In the last year alone, Eliza completed the six-month British Youth Sailing South West Feva Regional Training, came second in the British Youth Sailing South West Feva Regional Junior Championships. Now in her Nacra 15 she has competed at the Nacra Winter Championships at Weston Sailing club and then the RYA Youth Nationals in Weymouth – all before taking her GCSE’s earlier this summer.

In her own Nacra 15 catamaran with crew partner Will, Eliza is busy training every spare minute with the hopes of being selected to compete in Barcelona for the British Youth Sailing Worlds this October.

Their big dream is to represent Team GB in the Youth World Championships next year in New York and ultimately race towards her dream of one day competing at the Olympics.

She has been sponsored by South West Water, awarding her £5,000 to be able to cover part of the costs for the upkeep of her boat, be it new rigging, sails, safety equipment and any repairs needed to keep her speeding along the waves for the next year.

Eliza said: “I care passionately about the physical and mental wellbeing that taking part in water sports can bring which is only possible with excellent coastal water quality. By working together with South West Water, I hope to inspire more young people to try water sports and promote a wider understanding of the good work that the company is investing to achieve.”

“I am proud to be a Youth Ambassador for South West Water and want to thank them for their sponsorship as it has given me the opportunity to see where I can push my sailing career to go into the future.

Dani Twelvetree, South West Water’s head of customer communication and engagement, said: “It is inspiring individuals like Eliza that bring such energy and pride to the South West. We are excited to support her as she grows and succeeds in her athletic field and can’t wait to see what she achieves next.”

You can keep up to date on what Eliza is up to by following her boat's Instagram.