Andrew Lewis Sailing

First Name: Andrew

Surname: Lewis

Nicknames: Andy, Drew

Nationality: Citizen Of The Republic Of Trinidad & Tobago

ISAF ID: TRIAL1

Gender: Male

Date or Birth: 30/11/89

Personal Information-

Resident of: Trinidad and Tobago

Occupation: Student/Sailor

Yacht Club: Trinidad and Tobago Sailing Association

Coaches: Fernando Alerga (Peru), Belina Stowell (Australia), Arthur Brett (Australia)

First Boat Sailed: Optimist

Second boat Sailed: Laser Radial

Current Boat Sailed: Laser 1

Started Sailing at Age: 7

General Interests-

Hobbies: Football, DJ’ing, and Water Sports

Amusing sport episodes: Rolex Sailing Series

Best National Sporting Achievement: Nomination for Witco Sports Awards

Why Sport Sailing: I believe that everyone who plays a sport should know why they like to play it and why they prefer it over another one. Here is why I love sailing over all sports. I was born and lived my whole life on an island, and living in Trinidad you are never more that thirty minutes from the sea. So I can take my boat wherever I was and go for a sail once there is wind. I believe that sailing has a history unlike most sports and Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad and Tobago when sailing. So not only is sailing just a sport but it has history like no other sport. Sailing has not only taken me to many countries all over the world but I have met so many people and experienced so many amazing cultures. I think that my experiences as a sailor have been phenomenal for me and I am sure there is so much more to come. Sailing does not only make me respect the elements of nature but it has made me realize how life on earth is very easily taken for granted by most people.

Sailing at the Olympic level is extremely hard as these days competitive sailors treat their sport as a ‘full time job’ and they don’t do anything but sail. Sailing is very well developed all over the world. Some countries are landlocked and they still have sailors competing at the highest level. In the Olympics there are 11 classes in sailing. Athletes compete from age seventeen to forty-five and possibly older. Not many sports afford you this opportunity.

Competitive sailing requires tactical and strategic thinking with lots of sailing time and some gym time. This is just a basic idea as to what is involved in being an Olympic Sailor.

Most Influential person in my Career: Andrew Lewis (Me), Ben Ainslie, and Russel Coots

Most Admired Persons: God, Lance Armstrong

Ambitions: Gold Medal in the Summer Olympics of 2012 and Americas Cup Skipper