Laser 4.7 European Championships in Morgat, France
by Fiona Fry & Ben Nicholls 11 Jul 2016 12:01 BST
Matilda Nicholls claims the title Laser 4.7 Under 16 Girls European Champion © Penny Clarke
30 GBR sailors competed in the Laser 4.7 European Championships in Morgat, France. The event was for sailors U18 with over 300 sailors competing and a sizable boys fleet. A focus for many nations of this youth class is the U16 Fleet awards.
The Brits had a well-organised group with five expert coaches to assist them afloat, including Gold Medalist Pippa Kenton-Page, Olympian Penny Clarke, Laser Podium sailors Alex Mills Barton and Jack Wetherell and the RYA's expert Transition Coach Alan Williams.
The efforts of the team were well rewarded; 14 year old Matilda Nicholls representing Royal Lymington YC and the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation claimed the title European Champion for the U16 girls. Alex Schonrock was 5th in the girls U16s.
Arthur Fry finished top 10 in the Boys U16 after a very credible overall result in the Gold Fleet. Benno Marstaller won the Silver Fleet.
The best individual race result was Alex Schonrock, who achieved the only GBR bullet of the week in race 6 of the girls' event. Zac West got a second in race 2 of the boys event and Benno Marstaller had two seconds in races 6 and 7.
Youngest sailors:
Flo Nicholls in the girls' event, at just 13
William Rowland in the boys' event, at an even younger 12
Under 16 girls results for GBR:
Matilda Nicholls: 1st
Alex Schonrock: 5th
Freya Cumpsty: 8th
Eleanor Poole: 10th
Arabella Sabberton: 16th
Flo Nicholls: 17th
Under 16 boys results for GBR:
Arthur Fry: 8th
Zac West: 26th
Dan Wellbourn Hesp: 44th
James Brosnan Wren: 51st
Tom Pollard: 55th
Peter Raimbault: 61st
Lewis Coop: 85th
Adam Din: 88th
William Rowland: 89th
Event photos can be seen at www.cncm.fr/page/laser47
Full results at: www.cncm.fr/page/results-and-groups-european-laser-4-71467712929