Silver lining for GBR 470 sailors 

Podium success at 470 Junior World Championships for Jess Lavery and Megan Brickwood

Great Britain’s sailors were celebrating silver success on Wednesday (2 July), as Jess Lavery and Megan Brickwood claimed a podium finish on the penultimate day of the 470 Junior World Championships in Cervia, Italy.  

The British Sailing Team’s Podium Potential sailors head into Thursday’s (3 July) medal race with a 22 point cushion over third place Malte Winkel/Matti Cipra (GER), with victory already in the bag for French sailors Maelenn Lemaitre/Aloise Retornaz.  

The 470 duo, who teamed up in September 2012, sailed a solid series posting only one result outside of the top ten across the 11 race series.  

“We are really pleased with the silver medal, we have sailed a really consistent event and have worked really hard in some tough conditions. It’s a great feeling to know that our winter’s training has finally paid off,” explained the 19-year-old crew Brickwood.  

“Coming into the regatta our main aim was for a top five finish with the intention to go on and medal at the 470 Junior Europeans in August which has a smaller fleet, so to win a medal here and go above and beyond our expectations is amazing!”  

Lavery, 20, from Emsworth, added: “It has been a really challenging week, we have had a real mix of conditions with a steady sea breeze to some really shifty days. Tuesday was a really big day with some big breeze and some big waves, so it’s been a great week with a real mix of conditions to race in.  

As well as winning their first medal on the international circuit, the pair also picked up their first international race win at the halfway stage of the regatta.  

Lavery continued: “We were so pleased when we crossed the finish line to pick up our first race win together, it was a tricky race to win with some big shifts on the course, it wasn’t an easy straight forward win so it was really good to get it.  

“It gave us both a huge confidence boost knowing that we could do it and that we can actually win some races – hopefully more will follow now as we head into the 470 Junior Europeans in August.”  

Event victory was sealed in impressive fashion by the reigning Women’s Junior World Champions, Maelenn Lemaitre/Aloise Retornaz (FRA), who scored seven race wins to give them an unassailable lead heading into the ten boat medal race.  

“The competition has been tough as it always is in the 470 fleet, however the French have slightly run away with the lead this week, they are the reigning champions from last year and have once again just showed their class so congratulations to them,” said Lavery.  

Barrie Edgington, British Sailing Team Podium Potential Squad Manager, commented: “Congratulations to Jess and Megan who have sailed a fantastic series in a real mixture of conditions. The Olympic 470 class is always highly competitive and one of the toughest fleets to make the podium so the girls have done a fantastic job in securing the second stop on the podium with the medal race still to come.”  

For news and results from the 2014 470 Junior World Championships visit the event website.  

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