YOUNG sailors from Draycote Water Sailing Club continued their winning ways as they claimed top places at regional and national championships.
The club hosted the British Youth Sailing Regional Junior Championships for the Midlands last weekend with a number of competitors from its hugely successful Draycote Academy awarded medals for podium finishes.
And the regatta brought together junior competitors from 18 clubs across the Midlands with a full range of conditions from light airs to breezy winds to test their skills.
Draycote SC sailor Jess Powell placed first overall and first girl in the Topper class with Clem Middle third overall and third girl whilst Oscar Rowe was third boy.
And Draycote’s Morris Mellor was first in the Topper 4.2 with Imogen Green and Felicity Angell first overall in the RS Feva class whilst Theo Smith and Will Cowley finished third.
There was also success for Noah Byrd who was second in the Optimist class and Henry Byrd who was third in the RS Tera class.
And Draycote also had winners in the coached fleet for upcoming sailors wanting to develop their racing skills as 12-year-old William Shaw claimed first overall and Peter Astley took third in the Topper Regatta Fleet.
William said: “The coaching was friendly and really good and it was a fun weekend. It was great to go sailing and work on my racing technique.”
Elsewhere, Jess Powell was third overall at the recent Midlands Topper Championships at Notts County Sailing Club, with teammate Joe Rowe first overall.
These successes follow an impressive performance by Draycote’s youth and junior sailors at the recent RS Feva National Championships, hosted by London 2012 Olympics venue Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.
Combined results saw Draycote Water SC win the ‘top club’ trophy which is awarded to the club with the best three boats overall as Draycote’s inland-based sailors beat the south coast’s Royal Lymington Yacht Club (second) and Port Dinorwic Sailing Club in Wales (third) to claim the title.
In a highly competitive 82-boat fleet, Freddie Sunderland and Stella Nygard, both aged 15, finished the four-day regatta on the podium in third overall and as the first mixed team.
The second-placed Draycote boat was sailed by brother and sister combination Katie and Bob Byne, aged 19 and 14 respectively, who were ninth overall and third mixed team. Also in the club’s winning team were Imogen Green, aged 13, and Felicity Angell, 14.
Felicity said: “The first two days were very light winds but we got to see dolphins, which was amazing!
“The winds then picked up for the last two days, which we prefer, and we had our best result in the last race, where we came ninth, which gave us fourth girls’, 18th overall and helped Draycote Water win the team prize.”
Felicity and Stella’s younger siblings, Ben Angell and Mona Nygard respectively, also competed at the event.
Draycote Water SC Commodore, William Whittaker, said: “Following on from our winning the Rugby Sports Club of the Year, this victory by our fabulous young sailors really cements the club not only locally, but also nationally.
“It also shows what sailing can give to young people. Last year we taught 240 children to sail during the summer holidays and we hope to teach even more this year!”
To find out more about opportunities and training courses for children and young people at Draycote Water Sailing Club visit: www.draycotewater.co.uk
