YOUNG sailors from Draycote Water Sailing Club have been continuing their winning ways after claiming top places at regional and national championships.
The club hosted the British Youth Sailing Regional Junior Championships for the Midlands, with a number of competitors from its Draycote Academy awarded medals for podium results.
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 Water sailors who won places on the podium for their performance over two days of championship fleet racing were Jess Powell, Clem Middle, Oscar Rowe, Morris Mellor, Imogen Green, Felicity Angel, Theo Smith, Will Cowley, Noah Byrd and Henry Byrd.
The club also had winners in the coached fleet for upcoming sailors wanting to develop their racing skills, with William Shaw claiming first overall and Peter Astley third in the Topper Regatta Fleet.
William, 12, 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.”
Jess Powell was also third overall at the recent Midlands Topper Championships at Notts County Sailing Club, with teammate Joe Rowe taking first.
Draycote Water SC’s winning team at the RS Feva National Championships, hosted by London 2012 Olympics venue Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Picture by Chrissie Le Petit.
The club’s latest successes follow an impressive performance by the club’s youth and junior sailors at the recent RS Feva National Championships, hosted by London 2012 Olympics venue Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where their combined results saw Draycote Water SC winning the ‘top club’ trophy.
In a 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-placed mixed team. The second-placed Draycote boat was sailed by brother and sister Katie and Bob Byne, aged 19 and 14 respectively, who were ninth overall and the third-placed mixed team. Also in the club’s winning team were Imogen Green, 13, and Felicity Angell, 14.
Felicity Angell and Imogen Green retained their title at the British Youth Sailing Midlands Regional Junior Championships. Picture by Andrew Green.
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 also competed at the event.
The top club trophy is awarded to the club with the best three boats overall and Draycote Water’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.
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.”
