RYA Volvo Youth Nationals at Largs Sailing Club - Day 5

29er glory for Mon & Redding as RYA Volvo Youth Nationals close at Largs

Two-time class 29er National champion helm Bleddyn Mon has added the RYA Youth National title to his trophy haul as he and crew Nick Redding struck gold at the 2009 RYA Volvo Youth National Championships and Trials.

Anglesey’s Mon, who won RYA Youth National and 29er World Youth silvers as well as the class National crown with former crew Tom Humphreys in 2008, and Redding, from Didcot were in dominant form despite the Championships coming to a premature end due to three days of near impossible wind conditions in Largs.

The 18-year-old duo picked up four wins from the 29ers’ six races to claim the top boys’ prize from Max Richardson and Alex Groves in second and young Reading brothers Art and Ed Romano who took bronze.

Tadcaster team Lilly Carlisle and Becky Wallbank are the new RYA Volvo Youth Nationals girls’ 29er champions as the 17-year-old pair, who won bronze at the 2008 Championships, turned the tables on 2008 silver medallists Becky Diamond and Fiona Hampshire who clinched second spot for the second successive year. Phillipa Gray and Joanna Lucas made the podium for the first time claiming bronze.

Young gun George Bowles claimed a notable scalp as he won the RS:X boys’ windsurfing title ahead of Ali Masters. With both boys finishing tied on exactly the same points and with exactly the same scores from their five races, the 16-year-old from Brigg landed the top spot on account of beating Masters, 17, in the fifth, and what turned out to be final, race. Masters took silver for the second year running while Connor Bainbridge, 15, finished third.

Holsworthy’s Izzy Hamilton, 16, is now a double RYA Youth National champion after convincingly following up her debut success at Pwllheli last year with RS:X girls’ gold again in Scotland. There was also medal joy for Sophie Bailey from Bude who took silver having missed last year’s event with a shoulder injury while Claudia Carney claimed bronze.

Christchurch’s Phil Sparks and Guildford’s Ben Gratton, both 16, were clinical in claiming the 420 boys’ title, picking up four wins and two seconds from their six races to finish nine points ahead of Ben Palmer and Konrad Weaver in second. Matt Rainback and Simon Foskett took third.

Meanwhile 17-year-old duo Rebecca Kalderon, from Wimbledon, and Thames Ditton’s Rosie Sibthorp took the honours in the girls’ event edging out Amy Seabright and Katrina Brewer in second by four points while the Stanley sisters, Imogen and Hermione, finished third.

Saltash’s Phillip Reynolds, 17, won the Laser Standard battle, the discard for his race four disqualification ultimately proving decisive in him taking the top prize. Although he finished tied on level points with second-placed Martin Evans, the Cornishman snatched gold on countback with Alex Mills-Barton just a point behind in third.

Although fickle Easterly winds have kept everyone on their toes this week it was an especially topsy-turvy regatta for the Laser Radials. Southfields’ Oscar McVeigh, 18, ultimately surpassed the 2008 bronze he claimed at Pwllheli by finishing on the top of the podium this time around. Max Robinson won silver and Jack Wetherall bronze.

In the girls’ it was 15-year-old Hannah Tilley from Llandenny, who will represent RYA Team GBR at the Laser 4.7 Worlds in Brazil this summer, that struck gold on her Youth Nationals debut with Charlotte Greenhalgh second and Sarah Butterfield making the podium for the second year running in third.

Duncan Truswell, RYA Youth Racing Manager, said: “The conditions this week have been fickle and unpredictable and huge credit must go to the sailors and organising team for their patience and their commitment to trying to get as much racing on as possible.

“Although this event has also acted as the selection trial for the ISAF Youth Worlds, the Championships have not been all about the Youth Worlds. There are many talented sailors on the Programme and we plan to work very closely with them in the next few months to develop their medal-winning potential for the various forthcoming class European and World championships.”

The Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships this year take place in Buzios, Brazil and the British team for the Youth Worlds will be announced later today (Friday 17 April). The only exception is the Hobie 16 class which has not competed at Largs and whose primary selection event will be Eurocat in Carnac (1-3 May).

2009 RYA Volvo Youth National Championships and Trials main results:

Laser Standard
1st Laser Standard (Royal Bank Trophy) – Phillip Reynolds

Laser Radial
1st Laser Radial Overall (Crewsaver Trophy) and 1st Laser Radial boy (Eric Twiname Coconut Cup) – Oscar McVeigh
1st Laser Radial girl (Eric Twiname Trophy) – Hannah Tilley

420
1st 420 girls (Eric Twiname Trophy) – Rebecca Kalderon / Rosie Sibthorp
1st 420 boys (Royal Bank Trophy/Armarda Plate) – Phillip Sparks / Ben Gratton

29er
1st 29er overall (Harmony Trophy) and 1st 29er boys (Edwards Trophy) – Bleddyn Mon / Nick Redding
1st 29er girls (Ovington Trophy) – Lilly Carlisle / Becky Wallbank

RS:X
1st Windsurfing Boy Trophy – George Bowles
1st Windsurfing Girl Trophy – Izzy Hamilton

For full results and list of winners visit www.ryaracingevents.org.uk