KAI HOCKLEY

Hometown: Tottenham, London

IG: kai_hockley

Key Achievements: 

1 x Cowes Week Young Skipper of the Year 2023

1 x Cowes Week Youth Trophy Winner 2024

1 x Youth Sport Trust's Young Sportsperson of the Year

1 x Youngest ever Fastnet Race competitor 

 

Kai was first introduced to sailing by his school, The Greig City Academy in Haringey, London, in 2017 when he was 11 years old. Just two years later, he became the youngest ever competitor in the legendary Fastnet Race, marking the start of an extraordinary career. Since then, Kai has sailed over 3,000 miles offshore in RORC races and carved out a reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the Laser class. He’s been a regular fixture at the Youth Nationals and has battled it out in every major UK qualifier. At Cowes Week in 2023, Kai competed alongside Olympians and World Champions and was the highest-placed Under-25 helm at the regatta. He went on to be awarded the Young Skipper of the Year trophy at the event. Back at Cowes in 2024, he teamed up with fellow Grieg City sailor, Jessye Opoku-Ware, and the pair won the Cowes Week Youth Trophy. Just a few months later, Kai won the Youth Sport Trust’s Young Sportsperson of the Year at the Sporting Equals Awards. Kai joined Emirates GBR in January 2023 on an internship with their Shore Team, who help prepare and maintain the F50 race boat. He spent six months travelling around the world with the team, and after being impressed by his work, Sir Ben Ainslie offered Kai a role as a Development Sailor with his Athena Sports Group, which includes the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, the British America’s Cup Teams and the Athena Pathway Programme. His first time on the Emirates GBR F50 was in Dubai in November 2024 and 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.