Regional Young Sailor of the Year winners announced

RYA REGIONAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE MDL YJA YOUNG SAILOR OF THE YEAR 2001

The British Nautical Awards today announced the 12 regional winners of this year's MDL (Marina Developments Limited) YJA (Yachting Journalists' Association) Young Sailor of the Year Award. This is the third successive year that Marina Developments Limited has sponsored the YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award, which is designed to recognise endeavour and achievement by young sailors in any discipline of the sport. It is organised in co-operation with the RYA through its regions and is open to those under 19 years of age on 31st December 2001.

In a year of astounding nautical achievements amongst Britain's sailing youths, the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) regional winners for the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award are:-

Mark Powell (18) from Hayling Island in Hampshire, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA South Region. Mark started competing in 1995 and since then has won an impressive string of sailing accolades. Most notably he won the ISAF Youth World Championships in Crozon Morgat, France, in his Laser.

In 2001 Mark was ranked 1st in the Youth Nationals, held in Largs, Scotland, 1st at the ISAF Youth Worlds, and was 1st Youth in the Qualifier Tenby, the National Championships in Paignton, the Senior Worlds in Cork and the Qualifier in Swanage. During 2001, Mark was also a member of the National Youth Squad and has been recently invited to join the Olympic Development Squad.

Thomas Mallindine (14) from Whitley in Melksham, Wiltshire, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA South West Region. Thomas started sailing at the age of seven in an Optimist and by the following year he had won the beginners section at the Optimist Nationals. Just last year he attended The Worlds in Spain and was Britain's top sailor, finishing thirtieth, and was beaten on only three occasions in that year by other British sailors. Thomas finished off a great year by becoming the British National Optimist Champion, Inland Champion and was ranked as number one.

This year, Thomas was busy winning three national titles in just three weeks! He regained his title in the British National Championships - a feat not achieved in almost thirty years, and then he went on to win the Belgian Nationals and the Irish National Championships. Most recently, Thomas achieved first place at the Optimist End of Seasons Championship in Poole, Dorset.

Mark Heather (15) from Wilmington in Kent, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA South East Region. Mark sailed in his first open meeting in a Topper in 1998, aged 11, and his first National competition was in 1999. The year 2000 proved to be action-packed and successful as Mark went on to win the Topper World Championships in Ireland and was a member of the winning Kent team at the 2000 National Schools Sailing Association (NSSA) Team Racing Championships. In 2001, Mark consolidated his performance in the Topper Class with 1st place in the Topper Class at the NSSA Regatta, the Irish Topper Nationals, the Topper South East Zone Volvo Championships, the Topper Southern Area Championships and the London and South East Area Traveller. He was also placed 2nd in the GBR Topper Nationals.

Hannah Mills (13) from Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA Wales Region. Hannah, who started sailing at the age of eight at the Llanishen Sailing Centre, was asked to join the team selection for the World and European Championships in 2000, and despite being one of the lowest ranking sailors, she finished the event as 2nd girl and represented GBR in Lake Garda, Italy, in July. Hannah later sailed in the British Optimist National Championships where she finished 3rd junior and 1st junior girl, and by the end of the three major ranking events Hannah ranked 11th overall and top girl in the UK - leading to her place into the British National Squad in 2001.

Campbell Davidson (14) from Fairlie in Ayrshire, Scotland, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA Scotland Region. Campbell has had an eventful year sailing his topper, achieving many successes on the water. Most notably in 2001 he achieved 1st position in the Volvo RYA Regional Youth Championships, The Scottish Area Championships Traveller and Nationwide, The Scottish Traveller (four times throughout the year), and the North West Area Championships Traveller Nationwide and GBR Squad selector.

Debbie Hanna (18) from Larne in Co. Antrim, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA Northern Ireland Region. 2001 has been highly successful and rewarding for Debbie, who was again selected onto the RYA Northern Ireland Youth Squad. Her most notable achievements this year included achieving 2nd Female in the RYA Volvo Youth Championships, 12th overall in the ISAF Youth Worlds and 4th Female place in the Laser Radial Youth Worlds in Barcelona.

Natalie Lloyd (17) from Blundellsands in Liverpool, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA North West Region. This year saw Natalie achieve 1st Lady and 1st Girl in the UKLA Stokes Bay Qualifier, 1st Girl in the Youth National Championships, the UKLA Tenby Qualifier, the UKLA Felixstowe Qualifier and the Laser Radial Autumn Cup in Swanage. Natalie also achieved 2nd Lady and 2nd Girl in the Europa Cup and Dutch National Championship in Muiden in addition to her 3rd place in the Bosun Class in the Cadet Force National Regatta. Her greatest achievement was winning the bronze medal at the ISAF Youth World Championship in Crozon Morgat, France.

Suzanne Hamilton (18) from Gosforth in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA North East Region. Suzanne's commitment to sailing has led to a series of successes including 1st Youth Lady in the Laser Inlands. She was selected for the National Youth Squad and was 1st Lady in the Europa Cup, Germany, and 2nd Lady in the Europa Cup, Belgium. Suzanne was also 1st Lady in the Laser National and 1st Youth (2nd Overall) in the RYA Women's Nationals, as well as winning the Trident UK Young Sailor of the Year Award for the North East Region.

Giles Scott (14) from Shelton in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA East Region. Giles has been accumulating a number of sailing accolades this year, including being the National and Junior Champion in the National Topper Championships in Pwllheli, Wales. Also this year he became the youngest ever National and Junior Champion for the National Topper Inland Championships, and was winner of the Topper Class and overall winner in the RYA Eastern Zone Championships, as well as winner at four Nationwide competitions. Additionally Giles won the Topper North Eastern Championships and the National Laser Championships winning the under 16 Radial event - all in 2001.

Andrew Mills (15) from Ashford in Middlesex, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA Thames Valley Region. 2001 has been a demanding and jubilant sailing year for Andrew, achieving 3rd position in the Laser Class in the National Schools Championship, 1st position in the RYA South East Zone Championship and in the Surrey Schools Regatta, and 9th place (highest placed European boat) in the Tasar World Championship.

Alex Good (16) from Otley in West Yorkshire, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the RYA Yorkshire and Humberside Region. Alex has been sailing Toppers since the age of 10 and has been seriously competing since he was just 13. This year he has combined Topper competitions at National Level with RS200 sailing, and his successes include taking 2nd position in the Topper North East Travellers and 2nd position (1st RS200) in the Yorkshire and Humberside Youth Travellers. He took 5th place in the NSSA Regatta (1st RS200) and 2nd place in the Trident Northern Regional Championship.

Richard Peacock (15) of Ipsley in Redditch and a pupil at Arrow Vale High School Redditch, has won the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award for the RYA West Midlands Region. Richard has been sailing, mainly Toppers and 29ers, since the age of seven and claims to get most of his knowledge from his dad and from books, as well as a considerable amount of training from the RYA. A member of the Topper National Squad during 1999 and 2000, Richard came 2nd in the Topper Inlands, Nationals and World Championships in 2000. After selling his Topper for a 29er later that year, he obtained a place at the 29er Transitional Squad Training and this year he achieved his goal of gaining a place in the 29er National Squad which he believes will lead to his membership in the British Squad in years to come.

Jackie Phillipson, CEO of the British Nautical Awards said, "We have been amazed by the high standard and quality of the nominations for this year's MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year. It was a tough decision to choose our regional winners and I am delighted that we have so many outstanding young sailors out there."

From the nominations received from the 12 RYA regions, the YJA Committee, with advice from representatives of the RYA and MDL, will select a short-list of three from which the YJA members will then elect the overall winner. The short list will be announced on 27th November 2001.

The results of all eleven categories in the British Nautical Awards, hailed as the 'Oscars' of the British boating scene, will be announced on Friday 4th January 2002 during the Boat Show Ball at The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. Tickets, priced at £125 per person plus VAT, are available from the Ticket Desk on 01784 223602.

More Information:

• www.britishnauticalawards.com