Hi, my name is Henri Bellanger. I am a 17-year-old high performance catamaran sailor from Denmark Sailing Club, on the south coast of Western Australia. I sail a NACRA 15, which has 2 hulls and is sailed by 2 sailors, one male and one female. I have been sailing with Mia Waters, an accomplished 16-year-old sailor from Esperance since December 2025.

We recently won the NACRA 15 National Championship and are Australia’s top youth high-performance catamaran team. We have been selected as the NACRA 15 team to represent Australia in the Youth World Sailing Championships in Portugal in December 2026. We will be sailing in the NACRA 15 World Championships in Plymouth, England in July 2026, as preparation for this event.

This will be our first international regatta. We will gain significant experience sailing in a large fleet of the world’s best NACRA 15 sailors in Plymouth – ideal groundwork for the Youth World Sailing Championships later this year. With the catch cry of “just send it”, we are determined to train hard, do our best and learn as much as possible.

The NACRA 15 fleet in Australia is small, but growing. However, European regattas often feature over 80 entries. This fundraiser will help me develop the skills to sail competitively on busy start lines, against European sailors.

NACRA Online have generously donated the lease of a NACRA 15 boat to sail in Plymouth at the NACRA 15 World Championships.

I have also been selected in the Australian Sailing Youth Squad for the last 2 years and have been selected as a member of the Great Southern Academy of Sports, which provides me with high performance support in strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, psychology and nutrition.

Your donation will help pay for my share of the flights, accommodation, entry fees, meals and other costs for this regatta. Mia will be fundraising separately for her share of the costs.

Any contributions from individuals, families or businesses would be so gratefully received. My family and I are so thankful for the support, encouragement, help and generosity that I have received on my sailing journey.

I will keep everyone updated with my training, preparation and results on my Instagram account @henri.bellanger.sailing Fundraising through the Australian Sports Foundation means all donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

Photo credits: Jenny Feast Photography, DownUnderSail, Stephan van Blerk