KAI HOCKLEY

Hometown: Tottenham, London 

Instagram:  kai_hockley 

Key Achievements:  

1 x SailGP Championship Win 

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. Kai 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 was 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 2024 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 has travelled the world with the team in a key role with their Shore Team incorporated with training time on the F50 and development in the Grinder position.