Watch the moment that nine-year-old Mads Wenger Larsen finds out that he is the winner of the 2016 MUSTO Sailor Search Junior competition.

5 December 2016

After a year of campaigning and 15,000 votes cast, MUSTO has announced that Mads Wenger Larsen of Denmark is the company’s Junior Sailor Search Champion.

The nine-year-old’s victory means the young Danish sailor will now receive a full MUSTO sponsorship worth £5,000 as well as valuable one-on-one training from one of the elite MUSTO ambassadors.

The Sailor Search programme has been designed to give exposure to the next generation of sailors whilst providing all the training and equipment that is needed to make it to the top.

Winners were decided on social media with all entrants campaigning for votes throughout the year.

Mads Wenger Larsen MUSTO Junior Sailor search champion

A total of 15,000 were received overall, with Mads taking just under 30% of the vote.

On hearing the news, an elated Mads said: “I did not see that coming, I thought I would be 5th, or 6th maybe.”

When asked how becoming a MUSTO ambassador will help, he stated: “When I get my sailing gear from MUSTO, we may have more money for the upcoming competitions”, adding that he was most excited about receiving a MUSTO dry suit.

The firm’s head of marketing, Petra Carran, said: “The MUSTO sailor search programme is something we as a brand are hugely passionate about. ”

“Mads is a worthy winner and we look forward helping him forward in his sailing career with the best training and kit available,” added Carran.
8 August 2016

MUSTO launched its Junior Sail Search programme at the 2016 London International Boat Show.

Every year, the company receives hundreds of individual requests for sponsorship from young athletes.

The new programme is designed to fairly select who MUSTO will support from these applicants.

The competition offers sailors aged 21 and under the chance to compete for campaign support valued at £5,000.

The winner will also get the exciting opportunity of one-on-one training support from a MUSTO ambassador and gain valuable promotional exposure via the company’s channels.

Entrants must have significant experience on the water and have proven themselves on the racecourse.

They will also be judged on their sportsmanship and contribution back to the sport.

To enter, young sailors must submit a sailing CV and supporting images or video to juniorsailorsearch@musto.com.

Finalists will be judged against the above criteria by a panel which includes MUSTO ambassadors Ian Walker, winning Volvo Ocean Race skipper and two-time Olympic silver medalist and Charlie Enright, youngest Volvo Ocean Race helm and four-time All American collegiate sailor.

The panel also includes Enright’s Alvimedica teammate, team manager, and Melges 32 champion Mark Towill, and Richard Mason, 470 European Championship silver medalist, U21 49er European Championship gold medalist and winner of the Solitaire de Figaro rookie award, and Volvo Ocean Race rookie award.

Following selection by the panel, the ten finalists will be put to public vote to determine the winner.

Entries are open until 30 August 2016.

Finalists will be announced on 5 September.

Public voting will close on 1 December with the winner announced on the 2 December.

Entrants must be 21 or under as of 1 January 2017 to enter.