Sunshine Coast World Masters Games sailing champion Mark Kennedy has developed a unique family and sporting bond with his teenage children Mitchell (17) and Madison (15).
The Buddina sailing family all won major individual championships during the past summer to lay claim to be Queensland’s most successful in the sport of strict one-design dinghy sailing.
However while father Mark is proud of his children’s results he remains adamant that his Matthew Flinders College students Mitchell (year 12) and Madison (year 10) achieve high marks later this year.
“It’s become very much a balancing act with sailing hardly mentioned before the assignments and homework is done”.
“Besides we have plenty of time for sailing talk when travelling between home and Brisbane where we race in Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron events on Waterloo Bay every weekend”. He said.
Both Mitchell and Madison who graduated from club Sabot class racing on the Maroochy and Mooloolah Rivers are members of Queensland Academy of Sport sailing team coached by former World Tasar champion and Beijing Olympic team coach Adrian Finglas.
Mitchell confirmed his ranking among the best youth sailors in the Nation when he won the International Sail Brisbane Laser Radial class Gold Medal last December and has set his career ambition to represent Australia at the Volvo Youth World series in 2011.
Meanwhile Madison’s career continues to be highlighted with major results including being the youngest skipper to win the open Queensland Laser 4.7 dinghy championship.
The exceptionally talented teenager hung by her toes from the hiking straps to not only master the gusty breeze but also outpaced her older and more experience rivals to claim a popular victory.
Madison has a shy and modest nature and has very little to say about her achievements she prefers to let her sailing do the talking but said – “Its fun and I enjoy the challenge of sailing alone”.
The physically demanding sailing environment on Waterloo Bay will become a familiar challenge for Madison as she continues with her preparation to represent Australia in the unfamiliar Byte class at the World Youth Olympic regatta in Singapore in June.
“She hardly knew what a Byte dinghy looked like a few weeks ago but has quickly adapted to bracing a new learning curve” Father Mark said.
Both Mark and Mitchell have been her pacemakers during the extensive evaluation trials on the windy Waterloo Bay and have found that she has become very protective of her sailing space.
These intensive sailing sessions where there are no friendly favours handed to Madison have been equally important for Mark in his preparation to hopefully add another major medal to the impressive family trophy cabinet when he contests the 2010 World Laser Radial championships over England’s Hayling Island course next September.
By Ian Grant.