Lymington Town's Harry George Selected for Prestigious Youth Sailing World Championships

Harry George and Ralph Cawthorne at the 420 Europeans © Gonçalo Melo

Lymington Town Sailing Club is thrilled to announce that one of our own, Harry George, has been selected to represent Great Britain at the prestigious 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships. This monumental achievement will see Harry and his crew, Ralph Cawthorne, compete in Vilamoura, Portugal, from 12-20 December as part of the 16-strong British Youth Sailing Team.

The Youth Sailing World Championships is the pinnacle of youth sailing, a springboard for future Olympic and professional careers where many legends of the sport, including Sir Ben Ainslie, Hanna Mills and Vita Heathcote first made their mark. Harry's selection is the culmination of years of relentless hard work, dedication, and an outstanding 2025 season that has seen him and Ralph solidify their position as the UK's top male 420 team.

Harry, a two-time U17 National Champion, shared his excitement on this career-defining moment: "Our hard work over the past four years together has paid off, and we have reached the top of our game and intend to seek a medal at this competition for Brittain".

Their journey to selection has been nothing short of exceptional. The duo has consistently proven themselves against elite international fleets all season:

• 2025 420 World Championships: An outstanding 12th place finish against 101 of the world's best boats in Urla, Turkey.

• 2025 420 Junior European Championship: Another top performance, securing 12th place in a highly competitive fleet of 128 boats in Matosinhos, Portugal.

Harry George and Ralph Cawthorne at the 420 Europeans - photo © Gonçalo Melo

As a club, we could not be prouder of Harry. He has been a dedicated member of Lymington Town Sailing Club since he was ten years old, and to see him progress from his early years of training on the Solent to the world stage is a testament to both his personal drive and the supportive environment our club strives to provide.

RYA Youth Racing Manager, Oli Woodcock, praised the dedication: "They've trained hard all year, pushed themselves in their class, and shown real dedication to their sport... I have no doubt this team will make the country proud".

The countdown to Portugal has begun. As Harry and Ralph embark on their intensive training programme in the build-up to the Youth Worlds, they will need the full backing of their home club where they intend to train. We encourage all members to share messages of support and get behind Harry as he prepares to represent not only Great Britain but also Lymington Town Sailing Club, in this career-defining event.

Let's show our support for one of our brightest talents and help him achieve his goal of bringing home a medal for Great Britain!