
Her mum and dad were the first to know when Waiheke sailor Serena Woodall learned she’d made the wider team for Emirates Team New Zealand.
“They have been there since I first started sailing and had a front seat to all the highs and lows over the past few years so it felt fitting to tell them first. I think they were actually more nervous than me to find out if I had the spot or not,” she says.
This week, it can be confirmed that she does, indeed, have a spot.
Serena’s latest try-out for the team started with a three week internship back in November. Following that she and a couple of other sailors were invited back to trial throughout January and February. She says the initial internship mostly focused on learning about sailing the AC40s and what life at ETNZ looks like while the later trial was more about performance and upskilling as quickly as possible.
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