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Derbyshire Youth Sailors receive awards

19 December 2008

The 17-year-old was presented with his award by RYA President, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, at a special awards luncheon held in London.

Craig said: "I am totally amazed to have been given this award. I really just enjoy myself when I am helping out at the club. The best part of coaching and helping other sailors is when I see them enjoying themselves and making the improvements in their sailing. It was brilliant to meet Princess Anne. She was really easy to talk with."

At the age of 14 Craig became the first youth member of his club to be Youth Fleet Captain and attend sailing committee meetings. Craig's involvement doesn't stop with the young fleet members as he always offers support to sailors young and old.

Craig has also developed his talents as a race officer and as well as duties as officer of the day for the club racing, he has been asked to run several open meetings for the club.

Craig's successes at the helm of his own dinghy include achieving the highly prized Overall Series and Senior Championships in the Derbyshire Youth Sailing series in 2007. Craig has also been successful in the RYA Youth Sail Racing Programme as a member of the 4.7 Laser Junior Squad in 2006 where he had the opportunity to attend the 4.7 Worlds as part of team GBR. As well as tasting success in National School Sailing Association events in recent years including 3rd place in the fast handicap at this years NSSA regatta held at Carsington water, sailing an RS200 with James Hadden, as well as representing Derbyshire in NSSA team racing and match racing events.

Craig has now become one of the regular coaches in the Derbyshire Youth sailing training programme, continuing to develop his own abilities as a coach and continuing to encourage and develop young sailors in Derbyshire.

Two other Derbyshire youth sailors have also received awards recently. Ten year old Joshua Haynes and 15 year old Tommi Cluley have both been awarded Young Achiever?s Awards by Derbyshire County Council for their accomplishments in dinghy racing sailing.

Joshua has been the Junior Series Champion for Derbyshire Youth Sailing for two consecutive years receiving the Ellen MacArthur trophy. A member of both Carsington and Trent valley Sailing Clubs, he has also been the under 10 National Champion in the Optimist dinghy class in 2007 as well as securing a place in the RYA Youth Sail Racing Programme within the Optimist North Zone Squad for three consecutive years and bringing home the Plymouth Salver from the National School Sailing Association regatta 2008 held in Derbyshire at Carsington Water, as the leading under 12 helm.

Tommi has achieved a lot in 2008 including taking fourth place in his Laser 4.7 at the British Nationals and passing his RYA Dinghy Instructor qualification together with his RYA First Aid, RYA Powerboat level 2 and RYA Seamanship level 3 exams. Tommi was also successful in the National School Sailing Association regatta 2008.

David Levick, Chairman of DYS, said: "We are immensely proud of the achievements of all of these young people who thoroughly enjoy their chosen sport. Craig is an excellent example of a good ambassador for the sport of racing sailing and his activities both within his club and elsewhere have obviously been recognised for their significant contribution to youth sailing. Joshua has enjoyed a phenomenally good start to his racing sailing career and we wish him continuing enjoyment and success in years to come whilst Tommi looks set not only to do well in his own racing but to pass on his skills to the next generation of youth sailors in Derbyshire."

The Derbyshire Youth Sailing 2009 series will commence in April next year but the county youth sailors have the opportunity of training events being organised at Burton Sailing Club over the winter.