Former Olympic sailor teaches teamwork and trust at Bosham Primary School

James Peters, who trained at Hayling Island Sailing Club before embarking on a career that would see him compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, presented to pupils in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 about his journey into the sport – and shared some of his best tips for surviving upturned boats and bad weather.

He then put pupils through their paces with a set of challenges that would encourage pupils to practice trust, teamwork and strategic thinking. These challenges included a ‘man overboard drill’ where pupils had to rescue someone who had fallen overboard an imaginary vessel, using limited resources to recover them.

As well as having fun and learning vital team skills, sailing is an important part of the curriculum and history of the school, so, as James finished his visit with a Q&A session, he was inundated with questions from pupils about his experiences.

James represented team GB in the 49er class at the Paris 2024 Olympics and won gold at the 2024 European Championships alongside his sailing partner Fynn Sterritt. He now works with schools and other training facilities to talk about how strong communication and teamwork can help people connect, solve problems and succeed.

He has partnered with Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ Southampton division, which is currently building the Highgrove development in Bosham, to help deliver the housebuilder’s education programme for schools across the south coast.

“Barratt David Wilson Homes has been working with Bosham Primary as well as other members of the community to fund facilities in the area”, said Megan Hamlyn, Marketing Manager at Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton division.

“When we heard about the importance of sailing in the school’s curriculum, we knew it would be a good fit for James who has been working with us to deliver skills and team building workshops with schools in the area. The pupils responded well and it was a great success.”

James said: “Having grown up on Hayling Island and trained at the town’s Sailing Club as a child, I think it’s really important that I play an active role within my local community. I want to stay connected to my town and give back wherever I can – and working with Barratt to help deliver their education programme has really helped me to do that.

“The children did an excellent job when it came to the activities. It was a great effort all round and they were really engaged.”