Saturday 12 January 2008 ~ Today, 12 year old Laurence Greenough was awarded the prestigious title of Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year, following in the footsteps of past winners Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie OBE, and world class yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur.
Laurence, from Plymouth, who is a pupil at Devonport High School for Boys, wins the award for his courage and determination to overcome adversity.
Laurence lost a leg in a boating accident in May 2006 but was back sailing just two months later in an unmodified boat. His commitment to helping others and encouraging potential young sailors is extraordinary for someone of his age. A member of the Plymouth Youth Sailing Club, Laurence took part in the Topper Travellers in the South West Zone in 2007 and also competed in the NSSA National Regatta where he finished 15th Topper out of 76.
Stuart Jones, Secretary of the Plymouth Youth Sailing Club, said: “Laurence is an exceptional young man, with a huge amount of talent. His willpower to not let anything stop him must be admired.”
The awards ceremony was held at the Collins Stewart London Boat Show. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston presented Laurence with his trophy. Sir Robin first made history in 1969 when he took 312 days to become the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in the Sunday Times Golden Globe, sailing Suhaili. He said he entered the Velux 5 Oceans Race, which finished in May 2007, to prove that age is not a barrier to getting out and doing things in life.
Laurence beat off stiff competition from windsurfer Alistair Masters, a member of the RYA Youth Squad who has dominated domestic and international competition in the Techno 293 junior windsurfing class; Holly Scott, a crew member of the winning boat which scooped the Mirror World Championship 2007; Topper World Champion Michael Wood, who devotes hours of his private time to train other youngsters in the RYA West Zone Squad; and Tom Gillard, the first RYA Team GBR sailor to win the 420 European Championships.
Following nominations by the general public and Royal Yachting Association affiliated clubs, the awards were voted for by the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA).
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston also presented awards to the RYA Regional Winners:
| York and Humberside |
Tom Gillard
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| Northern Ireland |
Tiffany Brien |
| North West |
Rob Partridge |
| East |
Katrina Curtis |
| South |
Chris West |
| Wales - Joint Winners |
Bleddyn Mon |
| Wales - Joint Winners |
Tom Humphries |
| North East |
Michael Matthews |
| Scotland |
Ben Wilcox |
| East Midlands |
George Hand |
| South East |
Chloe Martin |
| South West |
Laurence Greenough |
| Thames Valley |
Imogen Stanley |
The 2007 Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year will be announced on Tuesday 15 January, at an awards ceremony to be held at The Painted Hall, The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Finalists for this prestigious title disabled sailor Geoff Holt, who achieved his “Personal Everest” in 2007 by sailing around the UK single handed; World and Pre Olympic Champions Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson; Mike Golding who risked his own life to rescue a fellow competitor in the Velux 5 Oceans race; and Sir Robin Knox Johnston who completed the Velux 5 Oceans race at the age of 68, thirty-eight years after his original (the first non-stop) solo circumnavigation of the world.
Notes to Editors:
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· The Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year award is open to any British resident or passport holder who has made an outstanding achievement under sail or power during 2007. Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year awards British youngsters aged 18 and under (as at 31 December 2007), in possession of a British passport (or are immediately eligible to receive a British passport), who have made a significant impact on youth sailing.
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· Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year award was initiated in 1955 by Sir Max Aitken and now bears the names of the greatest achievers in British yachting circles over the past five decades. Previous winners include Eric Hiscock, Sir Francis Chichester, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Sir Chay Blyth, Sir Edward Heath and Tracy Edwards, together with Dame Ellen MacArthur and Ben Ainslie who have both won the award twice.
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· Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year receives the prestigious Yachtsman of the Year trophy, a silver navigation buoy mounted on a sea of crystal, which was commissioned by the late Sir Max Aitken.
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· Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year award was first presented in 1993. Early winners include Dame Ellen MacArthur and Ben Ainslie - who both went on to win the Yachtsman of the Year title.
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· The winners of both awards are nominated by the public and elected by the votes of the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA).
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· In addition to votes from members of the public for Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year, over 1,700 RYA affiliated clubs have the opportunity to nominate. Plus, the RYA puts forward winners from each of its 13 regions as nominations for the Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year.
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· Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year receives a trophy and Raymarine goodies.
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· Raymarine is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of marine electronics for the recreational marine market.
For further information contact Chloe Bartle UK Marketing Coordinator, +44 (0)23 9269 3611 Ext. 1395 or chloe.bartle@raymarine.com or Gemma Sweet at ADPR, Tel +44 (0)1460 241641 or Fax +44 (0)1460 242719 or by email at gemma@adpr.co.uk.
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January 2008
