Whilst the stars of the sailing world where grabbing the headlines, projects like the Helford River Children's Sailing Trust in Great Britain and the Grael Project in Brazil, saw Connect to Sailing's aims embodied with a focus on sailing at the grassroots level. Elsewhere in the world of youth sailing, competition in the Optimist went from strength to strength, with Tina LUTZ (GER) becoming only the third female World Champion.