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2003 RYA Youth Championships and Trials Youth worlds team decided on final day of RYA Youth Championships and Trials. It was mixed emotion at the 2003 RYA Youth Championships and Trials as the sailors left the shore of Hayling Island Sailing Club on the final day of racing. For some they were sailing to win their place in the RYA National Youth Squad and for others the plane ticket to Madeira for the 2003 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships was at the forefront of their minds. The first race for most of the classes was started in eight knots of wind, but the breeze quickly built and by the end of the second and for those sailing a third, it was closer to fourteen knots and gusting sixteen at times.,p. With a point separating first and third place in the Laser Standard fleet the competition would be tough, making the decision that the selectors had to come to on who was the best man to send to the Youth Worlds, even harder. Scoring a tenth place and a bullet in the final race gave local sailor Stephen Powell from Hayling Island SC the overall lead by four points from last years Championships winner Andy Brooks of Elton Sailing Club with Giles Scott from Grafham Water SC just one point behind in third place overall. Etchells world champion and past Youth Worlds gold medallist Stuart Childerley assisted the selection for the Laser class and after a tough decision it was decided that Powell was the best man to send to the Youth Worlds. The decision on who would be selected in the 420 class was also a tough one and after a further three races Callum MacDonald and Haakon Karlsen from Royal Northern and Clyde YC won the championships and that result combined with their scores from the previous selection events meant that they were chosen for the RYA GB Youth Worlds Team. Stuart Bithell and Jonathan McGovern from Hollingworth Lake SC put in a good series and finished second overall. Alison Martin and Bethan Carden from Burghfield SC finished in third place overall and top girls, securing their place in the Youth World team. Last years Championship winners Charlotte Savage and Maia Walsh from Barnt Green SC put up a good fight and pushed all the way to eventually finish in fourth place overall. In the Laser Radial class Keir Clarke from Lyme Regis SC dominated the fleet scoring eight first place finishes to win the Championships by 44 points from Vincent Christan of Ely SC with Paul Cox from Torpoint Mosquito in third. The decision of which girl to send to the Youth Worlds has been a hard one for the selectors and both Charlotte Dobson from Royal Northern and Clyde YC and Colette Blair from Bewl Valley SC have been swapping places all week. Dobson won the first race of the day with Blair third and in the second Blair finished eight places in front of Dobson, but Dobson had done enough to win the Championships by a point and with it her ticket to the Youth Worlds. The last two places in the Youth Worlds team have been filled by Mistral sailors Peter Bird from Largs SC and Steph Thomson from Queen Mary SC. Bird has lead the event from start to finish, discarding his worst result a twelfth place and counting six firsts amongst his score line. Thompson finished in sixth place overall and ten places in front Laura Bray from Astbury Sailsports to win her place in the team. Chairman of the Selectors Jeremy Vines commented, "With 250 boats, it was a great turn out and a very high standard at the top which made the squad selections very difficult. A very good series has been sailed this week but ideally we would have liked a little more wind mid-week. Racing was particularly close at the top of the 420's and Lasers and meant that a good performance on Friday was essential." After a further two races in the 29er fleet, David Evans and Richard Peacock from British Steel SC secured the Championships from local sailors Tom Smedley and Steven Wilson from Hayling Island SC with Tristan Jacques and Alain Sign from Stokes Bay SC finishing in third place overall. In the twelve boat Hobie 16 class, one of the best fleets ever seen at this Championships, places have been changing regularly and after a further two races, last years Championship winners Ben Mansfield and Ben Hinks came out the victors by twelve points from Ryan Crawford and Lewis Crawford from Penzance SC. Newcomers to the fleet, Tom Phipps and Jon Cook from Restronguet SC suffered in the heavier conditions today but still put in a credible performance to finish in third place. RYA Youth Manager Steve Joel commented, "I am really pleased with how the Championships has gone and hope that the sailors have had a fun week which has benefited from excellent sailing conditions with good breezes and sunshine. Thank you to everyone that has made the event a success and I wish to congratulate all of the sailors that were successful in gaining selection to the RYA Youth Squad and hope that those that just missed out will work hard to gain places at their respected class nationals being staged later this summer." He concluded, "Finally I wish the RYA GBR Youth Worlds Team the best of success at the 2003 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships. Provisional overall results
Hobie 16 -12
29er - 29
Laser Standard - 26
Laser Radial Gold fleet - 107
Girls
420-48
other girls
Mistral-11
Girls The event is open to British Youth sailors of all abilities who are under the age of 19 (under 21 for the Hobie 16 class) on the 31 December 2003.
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