This year marks a significant milestone in my sailing career: with the support of the Mol New Europe Foundation, I have been able to continue my training and competitions with the best equipment available. The grant allowed me to invest in new racing sails and other essential components, which play a crucial role in achieving success both nationally and internationally.
New Challenges, New Crew
In mid-June, I chose a new crew member to join me, which brought new energy to our training. However, adapting to a different schedule initially required some reorganization, presenting a significant challenge for us. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we couldn’t participate in this year’s World Championship. While this was a great disappointment, we’ve been steadily improving through our work together, making significant progress both technically and tactically.
Races and Results
The 2024 season has been incredibly busy and exciting so far, providing me with a wealth of experience from various competitions. We kicked off the Europe Cup series in Koper, Slovenia, at the end of March (March 28–31), followed by a domestic ranking race in Alsóörs in April (April 19–21). In May, I competed again in a Hungarian ranking race in Csopak (May 17–20), and in early June, I continued the Europe Cup series in Lipno, Czech Republic (June 3–9). In July, the European Championship in Gdynia, Poland, was a special milestone for me, as it was the first event with my new crew (July 1–9). In September, I raced at the national championship in Balatonfüred (September 19–22), and the year concluded in Riva del Garda, Italy, with the Europe Cup series finale (October 23–27). These competitions were not only important in terms of results but also taught me invaluable technical and mental lessons.
Long-term Goals
Thanks to the support I received, we have set even more ambitious plans for 2024: our goal is to place among the top competitors in Hungarian ranking races and achieve results within the top 30% of the international field. We also aim to focus heavily on participating in joint training camps with the best foreign teams, further broadening our experience.
I am deeply grateful to my coaches and supporters, without whom this grant and the work behind it would not have been possible. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Mol-New Europe Foundation for helping make my dreams a reality and enabling me to achieve even greater success in the world of sailing in the future.
Ágoston Náray – (Hungarian National Champion with RS Feva in 2021)
