Insurance4dinghies sponsored sailor Scott Wallis blog #10
by Scott Wallis 14 Aug 2012 21:01 BST
July 2012
A busy time for Insurance4dinghies sponsored sailor Scott Wallis © Graham Wallis
Insurance4dinghies' financial support boosts Olympic hopeful's progress
In May last year, a young Olympic hopeful, 14 year-old dinghy sailor Scott Wallis from West Wellow, near Romsey, Hampshire, was a given a £2000 sponsorship package from insurance4dinghies.
The firm teamed up with YachtsandYachting.com two months earlier to invite sailors aged 16 years or under to apply for financial support to help with their training, travel and equipment costs.
Scott's entry was chosen ahead of 50 other applicants, having impressed the sponsors with his track record. He was already a seasoned open circuit, national and world championship competitor, winning his first title, 2005 Optimist Nationals (regatta fleet), aged eight and two years later becoming a Junior National Champion.
2010 highlights included Scott qualifying for the Junior Gold Cup and World Championships, winning major regattas in Belgium and the UK, finishing second in the Belgian Nationals and at Braassemermeer and being the top British sailor in the World Championships in Malaysia.
Since then, his career has continued to flourish. Scott moved into the 420 class at the beginning of 2011 and was selected to train in the RYA Transitional Squad and National Youth Squad. He earned a fourth place at the 2011 End of Season Championship.
Scott will be competing at the French Nationals in July before returning to compete at the UK Nationals in August.
His father Graham commented on what this extra financial support meant for Scott: "The sponsorship from insurance4dinghies has really helped – it enabled Scott to buy new sails and compete at an international level early in his 420 sailing, which provided useful experience and a great confidence boost."
Echoing these sentiments, Scott said: "I was really pleased to be chosen to receive the sponsorship. It helped me to achieve my goal of getting into the RYA Transitional Squad during the autumn of 2011 and meant I got great coaching over the winter. I'm now looking forward to trying to get good results in the French and British Nationals."
Insurance4dinghies is part of boat insurance provider, Towergate Insurance. For more information on dinghy insurance visit www.insurance4dinghies.com.