Young guns Ben Hinks and Carter Baker sailing for success in 2022 SA School Sports Awards

Two national champion sailors are among the big nominees as the 2022 SA School Sports Awards kick-off. See how to enter.

Two of South Australia’s most promising youth sailors have been nominated for the senior teams section of this year’s The Advertiser, Messenger and Department for Education School Sports Awards after dominating at national level.

Carter Baker and Ben Hinks – who joined forces in 2021 after over a decade of competition against each other – recently won the 420 class at the Open Australian National Championships.

They have also become mainstay members of the Australian Youth Team to compete in the Youth Sailing World Championships and are national finalists for Youth Sailor of the Year.

Baker, a senior student at LeFevre High School and a member of SASI and the Largs Bay Sailing Club, said nomination for the School Sports Awards was the cherry on top of a successful year.

“I love everything about sailing from the challenging weather to the technical aspects of the sport and I’ve been working really hard to achieve as much as I can,” Baker said.

“To win the national championships felt great and I’m hoping to now achieve that same level of success in a stronger class of sailors.

Young gun sailors Ben Hinks (18) and Carter Baker (15) at the Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club. The two are nominees for The Advertiser, Messenger and Department for Education School Sports Awards. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“It’s a great feeling to be nominated for the School Sports Awards, it means a lot and it would be a big achievement to win it with Ben.”

Hinks, who attends Urrbrae Agricultural High School and is part of the Brighton and Seacliff Sailing Club, won the primary category of the awards in 2016.

He and Carter both have aspirations to represent Australia in the Olympics and said winning would be another step towards the ultimate goal.

“Being nominated after we’ve just competed in the national championships and world championships shows that all the hard work we’ve put in has been worth it,” Hinks said.

“I’ve moved up to the 470 category now which is the Olympic class so I’m hoping I can continue the success.

Baker (left) and Ben Hinks (right) recently took out the 420 class at the Open Australian National Championships and now have future aspirations to make the Olympics. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“It would be quite special to win the School Sports Awards – seeing the names which have won in the past it would be nice to follow them.”

While Baker and Hinks go through multiple early morning and late night training sessions a week, they both still find time to instruct kids at the Largs Bay Sailing Club and are a crowd favourite with the young learners.

The School Sports Awards are the joint initiative of The Advertiser, Messenger and Department for Education.

There are three major awards in 2022 – individual competitors, individual student officials, and teams, with female and male and primary and secondary categories all included.

Enrolled primary or secondary students between the ages of 10-18 are eligible.

Nominate by Wednesday, November 16 at this link.