New breed keep up British sailing medal haul

by RYA on 29 Aug 2008 While Great Britain’s sailors have been dominating the headlines at Beijing 2008, the nation’s new breed have been keeping up the medal count overseas at the numerous class Youth and Junior World and European championships this summer.

Chloe Martin was crowned Youth girls’ champion at the Laser Radial Youth Europeans in Douarnenez, France while Martin Evans followed up his Radial Youth Worlds silver earlier this year by winning the European Under 17 title and picking up Youth boys’ bronze into the bargain.

With the Laser Standard Youth Europeans being run concurrently, Robert Godwin, a new recruit to the Skandia Team GBR Development Squad, finished just outside the medals in fourth as Evan Scott (8th) and Eifion Mon (10th) ensured RYA Team GBR had three boys inside the top 10.

Britain’s young windsurfers have also enjoyed a fruitful summer with Sam Sills, the 2007 Under 15 boys’ World champion, taking silver in his first year as an Under 17 at the 2008 Bic Techno 293 World Championships in Sopot, Poland.

RYA Team GBR also scored two podium places in the boys’ Under 15 event with Jack Plummer and Kieran Martin finishing second and third respectively while three Brits finished inside the top 10 of the Under 17 girls’ class, Izzy Hamilton heading the trio with silver.

Meanwhile, at the RS:X Youth Europeans in Mondello, Italy, Ali Masters won boys’ silver with Jacob Brubert (6th) and Ryan Tilbury (10th). Hamilton finished top Brit in the girls’ event in 12th.

Earlier this summer Hannah Mills and Katrina Hughes romped to 470 Junior Worlds glory and the talented Skandia Team GBR duo followed that up with silver at the 470 Junior Europeans in Zadar, Croatia. Sophie Weguelin and Sophie Ainsworth took fifth and Claire Walsh and Jasmine Husband ninth.

Having finished the 420 Worlds in Athens as the top placed British pairing in fifth, reigning RYA Youth National champions Ben Saxton and David de Boltz claimed 420 Junior Europeans silver at Zadar as RYA Youth Squad teammates James Rusden and Joe Williams took bronze.

British crews also enjoyed success at the Mirror Europeans in Gottskar, Sweden, Chris Rust and Ollie Newman winning the title as British teams monopolised the top three, while at the Cadet Worlds at Medemblik, Holland, Joanna Freeman and Holly Francis won silver.

Meanwhile the Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds finish tomorrow (Friday) in Trogir, Croatia with RYA Team GBR’s David Grant currently sitting third in the Under 15 boys’ class.