Keeping it in the family
Volkswagen Caddy goes sailing
Setting sail
1986: the year Steve Lenney bought his very first Volkswagen for his seventeenth birthday – a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle 1302S. Fast forward to 2025 and, since then, Steve and his family have owned 27 Volkswagens – including a 1964 Beetle ‘Herbie’, the limited edition ‘Berghaus’ California, a Transporter, and several Volkswagen UP! cars.
Now, the next generation of the Lenney family are VW lovers, continuing to depend on the brand to get around.
For his son, George, the trusty Caddy has become so much more than just a vehicle: it is the ultimate companion for his sailing adventures as he pursues the goal of becoming a professional ocean racer.
We’re a VW family through and through – George has never had a day of his life without a VW, and I can’t see him in anything but a Volkswagen in the future.Steve Lenney
The ultimate companion
Having started competitive sailing at just three years old, George – now 16 years old – is on a mission to become a professional ocean racer. By 15, George had already passed his yacht master, day skipper and sea survival courses, and is currently the under 17 junior national champion, under 23 youth champion, and the adult South of England champion in his boat class.
With training sessions five times a week, and races and regattas all over the UK and Europe, George’s Caddy has become an absolute essential for his sailing, acting as his home on the road, study space, workshop and repair shop, drying room, bedroom, and his means of transportation.
Chosen for its flexibility, ability to comfortably sleep two, and its sufficient space to store all of George’s sailing equipment, the Caddy is stock standard aside from a Kari-Tek roof rack system, which makes packing the race boat and masts a breeze.
“George gives 100% on the water, five days a week, and his training, races and regattas are only possible with a van that also gives 100% - it does the job week after week, mile after mile. It’s simply brilliant.”
Having had the Caddy for five years, it has now completed over 50,000 ‘boat transport miles’. Last year alone, it carried him to 76 competitions across Europe – including trips to France, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and Denmark – on top of as many as six sessions every week, and weekends away for national training.
As George prepares for another busy season, it’s over to his ever-reliable Caddy, once again, to get him there.
"George has a very busy season ahead, with UK nationals and worlds in France, so the Caddy is going to be used a lot! Thank you for all the memories and miles so far – I think we have another 10,000 boat transport miles this year planned."
