Youngster retains Midlands title and helps club win national trophy
A SAILOR from Earl Shilton has continued her winning ways after retaining a Midlands title and helping her home club Draycote Water to claim the ‘top team’ trophy at a national championship.
Imogen Green, sailing with Felicity Angell, won the doublehanded RS Feva dinghy class at the British Youth Sailing Regional Junior Championships, which took place at Draycote Water Sailing Club on the weekend of June 18/19 and attracted sailors from 18 clubs across the Midlands.
The girls mastered a full range of conditions from light airs to breezy winds, counting an impressive five race wins and a fourth to successfully defend their Midlands title, having first won it in 2021 when the event was held at Carsington Reservoir in Derbyshire.
They were also key players in a team from Draycote Water SC competing at the RS Feva National Championships, which saw an 82-boat fleet battling for honours at the London 2012 Olympic venue, Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.
Racing at the championship started with two days of light winds - accompanied by dolphins! - then picked up for a breezier final two days; with improving conditions the girls had their best result of a 9th in the last race and finished 4th girls and 18th overall.
Their impressive performance – combined with that of teammates Freddie Sunderland and Stella Nygard (3rd overall and 1st mixed crew) and Katie and Bob Byne (9th overall and 3rd mixed crew) – saw Draycote Water SC winning the trophy for top club.
The trophy is awarded to the club with the best three boats overall and Draycote Water’s team of inland-based sailors beat the south coast’s Royal Lymington Yacht Club (second) and Port Dinorwic Sailing Club in Wales (third) to claim the title.
Draycote Water SC Commodore, William Whittaker, said: “Following on from our winning the Rugby Sports Club of the Year, this victory by our fabulous young sailors really cements the club not only locally, but also nationally. It also shows what sailing can give to young people. Last year we taught 240 children to sail during the summer holidays and we hope to teach even more this year!”
Imogen, (13) of Dixie Grammar School, Market Bosworth, first started sailing four years ago after taking a course through school and inspired to do more, joined Draycote Water SC. Sailing both single and doublehanded racing boats, Imogen teamed up with Felicity, from Warwickshire, after they became friends through the club’s youth and junior section.
Imogen explained: “I first started sailing through school and quickly moved on at Draycote because I immediately loved the sense of freedom and exhilaration from being alone out on the water, trying to control all of the elements to go as fast as possible. In the Feva this is even more fun, because the atmosphere in the fleet is amazing, and I get to race with one of my best friends against the best sailors in the country!”
Imogen and Felicity will back in Weymouth in July to compete at the RS Feva World Championships.
• To find out more about opportunities and training courses for children and young people at Draycote Water Sailing Club visit www. draycotewater.co.uk