11 January 2008 ~ The winner of the prestigious 2007 Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year award will be announced on Saturday 12 January at the Collins Stewart London Boat Show.
Finalists in the young sailor category include Alistair Masters, an RYA Youth Squad 15 year old who has dominated domestic and international competition in the Techno 293 junior windsurfing class, and has won two gold medals and one silver at the last three world championships; Holly Scott, winning crew member of Mirror World Championship 2007, who with her skipper (Anna Mackenzie), was the first all-girl team to win the title; Topper World Champion Michael Wood, who devotes hours of his private time to train other youngsters in the RYA West Zone Squad; Tom Gillard, the first RYA Team GBR sailor to win the 420 European Championships in Medemblik; and Laurence Greenough, who has overcome adversity – after losing a leg in a boating accident – to enter the RYA South West Topper Zone Squad.
Taking place at 4.00pm on the Main Stage, the award will be presented by Steve Curtis MBE, who is considered to be one of the best international powerboat racers of all time – holding the record for the most Grand Prix (36) and Pole Position (38) wins. Steve has also won the Class 1 Powerboat Championship an unbelievable eight times and is a past winner of the Raymarine/YJA (Yachting Journalists’ Association) Yachtsman of the Year Award. He will also present awards to all of the RYA Regional Winners.
The winner of the award has been voted for by the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA). The Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 15 January 2008 at The Painted Hall, the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
RYA Regional Winners include:
| 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 |
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.
This text can be downloaded from www.adpr.co.uk
January 2008 (RM485)
