SAILING NEWS
News 17
Martin leads the way as youths shine at Worlds
CREST OF A WAVE: Martin Evans heads for silver in the World Laser Radial Youth Championships in New Zealand Picture: Ocean Photography
Bright young things
RYA Youth Manager Simon Wergan hailed
his sailors’ “exceptional” performance as
Martin Evans won silver and four RYA Team
GBR youngsters finished in the top 10 at the
World Laser Radial Youth Championships in
It’s celebration time
New Zealand.
Having endured a difficult day one when
he posted a 10th and 12th for the opening two
THERE were cheers and cele-
races of the event off Takapuna Beach,
brations at Mersea’s Dabchicks
Sailing Club on 5th April as
Auckland, Evans staged an awesome recov-
members welcomed home the
ery to force his way into the race for the
Club’s newest sailing celebrity,
medals.
Martin Evans.
And having dropped to equal second with “Who’d have thought when
a 12th on the penultimate race of the Martin jumped into a Topper
Championships, the West Mersea sailor, who
aged nine that we’d get to this,”
celebrated his 16th birthday recently, held his
said his proud father, Nic Evans.
nerve when it mattered most to claim final
Competing against the best
race victory and win the silver medal out-
Under-19 Laser Radial sailors in
the world, Martin held his nerve
right.
when it mattered most, winning
James Spencer produced a similarly steely
the final race of the
performance in his final two races to move
Championships to take the silver
up from eighth to seventh overall while Jak medal outright.
Cornthwaite recorded an impressive Top 20
Martin was presented with yet
result at his first ever Worlds, finishing 19th
another accolade, membership
overall.
of the Musto Academy for 2008,
With the girls’ event doubling up as the tri-
presented in his absence at the
recent RYA Youth Nationals.
als for Britain’s 2008 ISAF Youth Worlds
The Academy recognises and
girls Radial slot, competition between the
supports emerging young sailors.
Brits was always going to be fierce and so it
WELL DONE MARTIN: Dabchicks club members celebrate Picture: Liz Harrison
proved as three girls made the top 11 and the
top Brit performer was not determined until
the last race, Chloe Martin eventually edging to Addy’s eighth, gifting Martin the overall pressure in the final race to achieve their Max Richardson and Alex Groves and
out Mel Addy by two points in eighth and British bragging rights. Hannah Diamond, overall results and that is especially pleasing. Bleddyn Mon and Tom Humphries set the
ninth respectively. who this time last year was winning the RYA “Martin Evans especially had the courage ball rolling with gold and silver respectively
Going into the last day, and final two races Youth Nationals double-handed 29er title, to make his own decisions in the final pres-
at the Under 19 29er Worlds in Melbourne in
of the 12-race series, Martin had a two-point took 11th in her first single-handed Worlds’ sure race rather than follow the pack – a strat-
January.
advantage over her teammate but a seventh
outing just seven months after switching
egy that proved correct for that race and won
World Laser Radial Youth Championships,
for Martin and a fourth for Addy in the penul-
classes while Sophie Platts finished 21st.
him the silver medal outright.
Takapuna, NZ, RYA Team GBR results:
timate race saw their battle go to a final race
A delighted Wergan said: “I am really, really
“All the sailors and their coach deserve a
BOYS: 2 Martin Evans 32 points;
showdown.
pleased with the performances of the Radial
great deal of credit and their performance in
7 James Spencer 63 points;
Martin, who had been consistently fast
team in New Zealand, their results are noth-
New Zealand means RYA Team GBR has
19 Jak Cornthwaite 130 points
downwind all week, replicated that form
ing short of exceptional. A number of the
achieved podium success at both the class
GIRLS: 8 Chloe Martin 78; 9 Mel Addy 80;
when it mattered to finish the last race sixth
sailors had to produce performances under
World Youth events so far in 2008.” 11 Hannah Diamond 104; 21 Sophie Platts 184
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20