BCS awards full sponsorship to rising international sailing star

Bournemouth Collegiate School has awarded full sponsorship to a Year 8 pupil, enabling him to pursue his passion to compete in sailing competitions internationally.

Dylan, a student at Bournemouth Collegiate School, part of CATS Global Schools, the UK’s largest independent group of international schools, is competing in wind foiling – one of the fastest-growing disciplines in global sailing, where athletes “fly” above the water on hydrofoils. Dylan has been selected to be part of the first cohort of sailors in the UK to join the X-15 training programme – the world’s first official ‘one design’ wind foil racing class recognised by World Sailing, the international sports governing body for sailing, meaning that everyone has the same kit, levelling the playing field.

He is also currently in Italy at the Genoa Boat Show – one of the largest globally – to promote the new initiative from We Are Foiling (the organisation behind Foiling Week) called ‘Gen F’ (generation foiling). This youth-support programme was launched to empower the next generation of sailors. He has been part of two panels at their Foiling and Sailing media summit, exploring issues such as audience engagement.

The sponsorship, which is part of CATS Global School’s overall commitment to investing in exceptional talent across its schools, includes a full scholarship for Dylan to attend the school, as well as take part in training and preparation for competitions. Bournemouth Collegiate School has adapted his timetable to allow gym training during the school day, while teachers provide flexible learning and remote catch-up work when he is travelling and competing abroad.

From first stepping into a boat aged three, Dylan has gone on to represent his school and train for international competitions such as the Youth World Championships in Silvaplana and Foiling Week in Malcesine, Italy, with ambitions to reach compete all over the world.

Dylan says the best part of the sport is “the people and the feeling of working towards something and achieving it.”

His mother, Sarah Cullen, added: “Balancing work, finances and a child competing internationally is a huge juggling act and the school’s support has been invaluable.”

Maria Coulter, Principal at Bournemouth Collegiate School, says:

“There’s a lot of discussion currently about limiting young people’s time online, but what’s just as important is what we replace it with. Stories like Dylan’s show the impact of giving students the space, support and confidence to pursue real-world passions and build a sense of identity beyond their phones.

“We recognise that success looks different for every student, and our role is to provide the flexibility and support that allows young people like Dylan to pursue their ambitions without compromising their education.”

Polly Tzortzi, Global Director of Marketing and Student Experience at CATS Global Schools, said:

“It’s vital that we support students both academically and in their sporting ambitions and Bournemouth Collegiate School has recently been recognised for our commitment to sport and pupil wellbeing via the School Games Gold Mark Award.

“We chose to sponsor Dylan because he embodies the qualities we want to nurture in all young people: dedication, resilience and a genuine commitment to pursuing excellence. His passion for wind foiling, combined with the discipline required to compete at an international level, make him a clear candidate for support. We believe schools should do more than recognise talent. They should actively help students unlock their potential and pursue opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.”