GB youth team wins EuroSAF Team Racing Championships bronze
by Nick Neve 21 Sep 2010 21:55 BST
Oakham students Isabel Scruby (16), Toni Duffy (16), Sarah Kent (15), Ed Lewis (17), Emily Nagel (16) and Anna McCormack (17) win bronze at the inaugural EuroSAF team racing championships © Nick Neve
Six young GB sailors won both Open and Under 19 bronze medals at the inaugural EuroSAF team racing championships in Italy over the weekend – but only after the Italian adult team was eliminated under a rule in the Notice of Race. The Italian youths picked up Gold while the Irish team had to settle for Silver. Racing was on the Venice lagoon in RS Feva dinghies supplied by the organising authority, with a weigh in at registration and the threat of carrying ballast for any underweight teams.
Each team was required to have at least one female, though the GB team had five girls and only one boy. More unusually than that, the team came not just from one club but all from the same school. Oakham School trains at Rutland Water and has a track record of producing good Feva sailors. Students move on to team racing in Fireflys so the invitation to supply a representative team is perhaps not so surprising.
Isabel Scruby (16), Toni Duffy (16), Sarah Kent (15), Ed Lewis (17), Emily Nagel (16) and Anna McCormack (17) have all sailed together in Italy before. Their coach, Nick Neve, said “I put their success down to hard work. Over several years they have all put in regular long hours on the water, summer and winter, in sun, rain and snow – that practice makes the difference.”
The school train at Rutland Sailing Club. This winter they will run squad training weekends for Fevas and Fireflys, with spaces for other local youngsters. Team racing is alive and kicking at Rutland!