A TEENAGE champion sailor from the Isle of Wight living with a rare form of cancer, who aspires to represent GB in the 2028 Olympics, took part in his first regatta eight months after his diagnosis.

Plucky Arthur Farley has a disease he will need to deal with for the rest of his life.

The 20-year-old became an ICLA/7 class European champion in 2022, then broke into the British Sailing Squad last year, just before he was diagnosed with chronic hairy cell leukaemia.

Although Arthur receives some funding from the British Sailing Team, he is searching for additional sponsorship and financial help to help get him back into the sport after his long lay-off.

He is seeking sponsorship to cover the annual £25,000 cost of competing in national and international competitions.

But due to his financial means, Arthur has had to be selective with the types of event he enters.

Arthur returned to competition last week in the 2024 ILCA Senior European Championships and Open European Trophy in Greece, but had to settle for 34th place.

The result has given him plenty of confidence as to what might be achieved with some more training in the tank.

“After a year out, I came to the event without a goal. To have a result which is quite respectable is great,” Arthur said.

“I just tried to keep that mindset and see how I ended up. It was good to be racing again.

‘I don’t really have goals for this year. Some people may think that I could win the under-21 Europeans or worlds but I am just battling against myself.

“I am not worrying about anyone else, I am just fighting to get into a solid training block without getting sick then I can get to that level for sure.

“The goal is to get two or three months of solid training under the belt. Just now, I was just totally relying on my old skill and memory.”

On a lighter note, Arthur didn't have to get his feet wet to gain some notable sailing success — coming third from a field of 27,934 competitors in the recent Virtual RORC Transatlantic Race.

Virtual racing is just like the real thing — from planning a route based on current and future wind conditions, then sail changes, to match wind conditions.

Arthur first came to prominence in ESailing in 2022, and is now one of the world's best in the field.

The Classic Boat Museum in Cowes had allowed Arthur to use their dinghy simulator to train and rebuild his strength while, in the meantime, he was getting training on the water with Brading Haven Yacht Club.

"I am determined to make sure cancer doesn’t choose my path in my sport and that I'm able to achieve success at the highest level," said Arthur.

Arthur has set up a fundraising page to try to raise the £25,000. So far, the total stands at £850.

"Campaigning an ILCA7 doesn’t have a fixed budget, as there are so many events. But for a very long time now I had to selectively miss events, and do the key events as an absolute minimum, as I couldn’t afford the fees," adds Arthur.

"I am really hoping, through this fundraising campaign, to avoid this situation, as not only is it stressful, which can affect my performance, but limits the events I can compete at.

"Many athletes spend much more than this, but I find it better suited to try to raise the minimum I need to complete the whole year's events, and live within my self-imposed budgets.

Arthur's next target will be the U21 European Championships in Mallorca in the coming weeks.