RS Feva sailor named Hampshire Young Sportsman of the Year

by Bill Tucker on 31 Mar 2011 Owen Bowerman was presented with the Junior Sportsman of the Year award at a marvelous ceremony at Southampton FC by the Hampshire & IOW Sports Awards. He was joined there by Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten from the 29er class who won the Team of the Year award.

Owen was recognised for his achievement in adding the RS Feva World Championship to his already impressive collection of European and National Junior Titles in the same class. He was sad that his crew Charlie Darling couldn't be there as well but unfortunately the fact that she lives in Northamptonshire disqualified her consideration for the Hampshire and IoW Sports Awards! Owens tremendous contribution to the worlds collection of post event quotes to the press was - 'I can’t quite put it into words, but winning this Award is just amazing – it’s fantastic to be recognised against athletes from other sports.' Whilst not a bad effort maybe we need to add press training to the list of RYA Junior winter training activities! And in the photo Owen as you have never seen him before - in a suit!

Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten have for the last 18 months just edged the 29er Fleet. So recognition was very well deserved for their fourth place at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Istanbul last year. Bar for an amazingly unfortunate - no really, it was - disqualification in one of their best races they would have had the silver medal. Not to be disheartened though they are still Youth age qualified and will be giving it another shot this year if they can past the likes of James Bolingbroke, Ollie Cooper and a number of other very fast youngsters at the Youth Nationals also in Hampshire (HISC) in two weeks time.