Top award for sailing star

Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club’s Annabel Cattermole has added to her considerable trophy haul by winning the RYA Regional Youth Champion Awards. Along with her crew, Bryony Bennett-Lloyd, the 18-year-old won the 2013 420 Ladies World Championship in Valencia, their biggest achievement to date, and this week added the Eastern Region award at the first ever RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show. Cattermole said: “It’s such a privilege to be chosen as RYA Eastern Youth Champions and to have our name up there with other amazing young sailors. “To have our success recognised is the icing on the cake after all the hard training and effort we’ve put into the sport, so thank you RYA for selecting us.” Bennett-Lloyd, from Norwich, added: “It’s a real honour to receive the RYA Regional Youth Champion Award as recognition of the hard work we put in in order to achieve the progression and success that we did in the 420 fleet over the last year. “We’re also proud to represent the eastern region because here is where the journey began for us and it’s exciting to see who might be next.” Because of their sailing commitments the duo were unable to attend the awards ceremony at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show, where the awards were presented by the British Sailing Team’s Dylan Fletcher. He commented: “It’s really important to recognise people on every level and these youngsters are all so passionate about their sport and they all put in the extra effort.” All awards winners were selected by the RYA’s 13 regional committees. For more information visit www.rya.org.uk/go/youthchampion