ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship - Serbian duo ready for battle

by Ozren Tosic on 12 Jul 2012 Serbia will be represented at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in Dun Laoghaire, in Laser Radial, by brother and sister duo Tara (17) and Luka Tosic (15). Both have sailed competitively from an early age and have also held top Serbian national ranking in Optimist and Laser 4.7 classes.

Tara has a busy campaign year ahead. She'll be able to dedicate more time to sailing this year as she has just finished school and will be taking a year to sail while she completes a gap year at the Royal Institution in London, working in the young scientist’s laboratory.

'My dream has just come true,' she said, as she will be able to mix science and sailing for a whole year. Tara recently was acknowledged as the top all round athlete among over 70 young people identified as potential Rio 2016 Olympic hopefuls from different sports in Serbia. She was also awarded a GLL sporting scholarship in London, where she moved this year to complete her final year of school.

Luka (lukatosic.com) has preparing well for the 2012 ISAF Youth Worlds starting first at the Under 16 Laser 4.7 European Championship in July 2011 where he finished first and third in the Laser 4.7 World Championship in Buenos Aires (U16) in March 2012. He was also an African champion in Optimist Class in 2010. 'My mother is a doctor and assisted a very ill patient on a transatlantic plane and as a thank you got two airplane tickets, so we were fortunate to travel to Kenya, a memorable experience,' said Luka.

Tara and Luka currently train with Sailcoach Hungary as this allows them to combine school and extended training periods in Europe. They are both very keen to promote sailing in Serbia and to support younger sailors there. All their kit gets recycled back home and both have already extensive experience in media and television appearances.

They both appreciate the international camaraderie at ISAF events. 'I am really looking forward to meeting up with friends old and new in Ireland. I have been meeting many of the athletes for years now on the circuit as we have all moved up through Optimist and Laser classes. It is a very friendly but competitive circuit,' said Tara.

Both Tara and Luka have another reason to celebrate - they are both Irish citizens, through their mother's family who hail from Cork and Rathlin Island. Both are looking forward to a homecoming. But most of all they are looking forward to the winds on Dublin Bay. For sailors from a landlocked country like Serbia, Dublin Bay will offer exhilarating conditions and great sport.

'We cannot wait to get on the water,' Tara and Luka ISAF Youth Worlds website