YOUNG sailors Jack Lewis and Lucas Marshall have had their stellar achievements last year celebrated after the pair were revealed as the winners of the prestigious Midlands RYA Youth Champion Award 2016.
Last year the duo from Draycote Water Sailing Club, completed a clean sweep of Junior World, European and inaugural Eurocup Series victories in the two-person RS Feva class, one of the junior classes the RYA supports on the pathway to Olympic Classes sailing.
Then, aged just 12, as well as claiming the title of Allen RS Feva Junior World Champions at the World Championships in Travemunde, Germany in July, Lewis and Marshall also won bronze overall too.
The RYA Youth Champion Awards recognise the outstanding achievement and performance of young people across the range of activities the RYA represents, including sailing, windsurfing and powerboating
The duo, both 13, will receive their award from the British Sailing team’s three-time World Champion Finn star, Giles Scott, alongside the other 11 regional winners at the RYA Dinghy Show on March 5.
“I really enjoyed defending our titles from the year before and adding to them by being the first winners of the new RS Feva Eurocup Series,” said Marshall.
“It’s not all about the winning. I love visiting new places, sometimes overseas, and making friends with, and sailing against, new people. The time on shore with our competitors is all part of it too.”
Lewis added: “I am really pleased with what we achieved last year and we exceeded my targets for the year, which were to come in the top three at the Europeans and top five at the Worlds.
“It was a big surprise when I got the letter saying we had been chosen as RYA Regional Youth champions, I wasn’t expecting it at all.”
The young sailers have been busy training over the winter in preparation for the 2016 season.
In May they will be aiming to defend their European titles at the RS Feva European Championship in the Czech Republic and they will also be looking to improve their results at the UK Nationals Championships at Weymouth and Portland, before travelling to Spain for the World Championships in July.
Jack added: “The opportunity to train as a GBR squad over the winter gives us great coaching and puts us up against stiff competition all winter long. We are hoping it pays off in summer competition.”
Both Lewis and Marshall were nominated for the RYA Youth Champion Awards by Draycote Water Sailing Club and selected as winners by the RYA Midlands regional committee.
For more information on the awards www.rya.org.uk/go/youthchampion or to find out how you can get into sailing at Draycote Water visit www.draycotewater.co.uk.
