Arthur Farley Achieves Esailing World Championship After Cancer Treatment

Isle of Wight sailor Arthur Farley recently secured the esailing world championship title, an achievement that followed a period where his life was paused due to a blood cancer diagnosis. This diagnosis interrupted the 20-year-old’s burgeoning sailing career, necessitating approximately a year-long hiatus from the sport. This occurred soon after he had been named a European champion and integrated into British Sailing’s talent pathway programme, when he received the diagnosis of hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) and the need for comprehensive treatment. “It’s a chronic cancer,” Farley told BBC South Today. “In around 10 or more years it will come back and you treat it again, supposedly there’s no one under 40 in the world with this type of cancer.” He added, “Getting through the several stages of chemotherapy was making me realise the seriousness of this scenario, I spent basically a whole year with the handbrake on.” Farley also noted, “I’m quite lucky that it wasn’t as aggressive as it could have been but obviously it is still a lifelong thing.” As traditional sailing was no longer his primary focus, Farley dedicated part of this period to transforming a hobby into a significant skill. He recently triumphed over more than 50,000 participants to claim the title of esailing world champion, a virtual sailing competition, after securing second place in the two preceding years. Initiated in 2018, the esailing world championships serve as an online contest uniting Olympic sailors, sailing enthusiasts, sports gamers, and new participants. A key factor in its accessibility is the esport’s minimal entry barrier; the game, Virtual Regatta, can be played on mobile devices, tablets, and web browsers, allowing broad participation. “When I couldn’t do my own sailing I started playing the game a bit more,” he stated. He further explained, “I did 10,000 hours during lockdown and then I’ve just been managing it since, If you are a sailor you do have an advantage.” Farley also noted, “It teaches you a lot about managing a 20-40 boat fleet and you can take that into your real setting as well, it crosses over quite nicely.” During his initial year returning to competition after treatment, Farley secured 10th place in the under-21 championships, an outcome he considers a crucial step towards realizing his Olympic aspirations. The £5,000 first prize money is being allocated to his training and ongoing efforts to secure sponsorship for his journey. “Bouncing back from it all was quite a big year for me really,” Farley commented. He continued, “The goal is to go to the Olympic games, it will be interesting to see in 2028 and 2032 how that develops.” Farley concluded, “That being said I think the experience has matured me in a sense, it has made me realise that there is more to life that just Olympic sport which potentially is a strength to have against my competitors in the long run.”