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Testing the water

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Why you can trust SCMP

Young sailor Akiko Sakai wants to prove herself in the male-dominated sport in July's Laser 4.7 World Championship.

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Akiko, born and raised in Hong Kong, will fly the SAR flag in Riva Del Garda, Italy, with Jamie Dalton, Charles Walthers and Andrew Houston-Floyd.

The Laser 4.7 Youth World Championship is an open event for young sailors aged between 12 and 17 years old from all around the world.

Organised by the youth sailing class at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), the fleet of four were selected three weeks ago from a squad of 11.

'I am really excited about it, said 16-year-old Akiko, the top youth sailor from Hebe Haven Yacht Club.

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'People always underestimate girls. Even my teammate teases me and says: 'Are you embarrassed to represent a club that has a girl as top sailor?' Although physically I am the most unfit one among the four of us, I want to do well and show them that girls can do it.'

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