The Cayman flag flew one last time at the Olympic Games in Paris, on Monday, 5 Aug., as Charlotte Webster closed out competition for the 345 team.
“To say that I have gone to the Olympics now is just so amazing,” Webster said.
“It really is a dream come true,” she said, noting that she put in a lot of hard work to reach the pinnacle of sports.
Webster, after a valiant effort over five days of sailing through the Mediterranean Sea, finished her final race at the global spectacle, with an overall placement of 41st in the women’s dinghy event.
Webster completed nine races in the Bay of Marseille and was having one of her best days of racing when the 10th race of the series was cancelled due to unfavourable weather conditions.
Cayman’s top sailor was soaring in the middle of the fleet during race nine before it was halted. It eventually restarted, and Webster finished 37th.
In race 10, Webster was sailing near the top once more, this time in fourth position coming off the starting line but, again, the race was stopped and this one did not restart.
Though her final day of sailing didn’t go as planned, she said that she was grateful for the experience.
“I felt the Olympic spirit and I feel like this is something I will never forget,” said Webster, who was one of the Cayman flag bearers at the opening ceremony.
“It was such an unforgettable week, very difficult at times, very frustrating at times, when I didn’t get the races that I wanted, but I am really happy with the whole journey to get here,” she said.
Webster finished her race eight on the series on Sunday, 4 Aug., placing 43rd. Earlier in the day, she had her best performance of the competition, placing 32nd, ahead of 11 sailors.
On Saturday, 3 Aug. – the most labour-intensive day – Webster raced three times after a pair of postponements in the first two days. She put together a 40th-place finish in race six, after placing 36th in race five and 41st in race four, the opening race of that day.
Friday, 2 Aug., featured Webster sailing twice, finishing 40th and 39th place. A third race was set for that day, but was abandoned just when it was looking like Webster may have a breakout performance, having found herself in 16th place during the race.
She opened the competition on Thursday, 1 Aug., making her Olympic debut, in which she finished 41st in her first of the 10 scheduled races.
As for what’s next, Webster said she will now turn her focus to resting and enjoying the rest of summer before heading off to university.
“I’m taking a well-deserved break,” she said, noting that she will return to sailing next year and possibly try for another Olympic Games.
“Probably LA 2028, but we’ll have to see how that goes.”
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