Regional Youth Sailor receives his award from World Champion
Jamie Harris is thrilled to pick up his award from Nick Thomson at the Dinghy Show
Jamie Harris, 14, from Axbridge, was one of the UK’s most promising young sailors, windsurfers and powerboaters to receive an award from four-time Laser World Championship Medallist Nick Thomson at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace, London on Sunday 01 March.
Jamie is the south west RYA Youth Champion for 2015, nominated by Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club and selected as a winner by the south west regional committee because of his exceptional sailing achievements.
He won the Saxton (National Junior Boy Champion) Cup in the Optimist in Largs 2013, and was second on count-back in the Irish Junior Nationals the same year. He built on this success during 2014, when he qualified for both Optimist and Cadet national squads, and represented the GBR Optimists in Italy, the Netherlands and France. In Optimists, he also won ‘first overseas boy’ in Ireland, 2nd place in the Southern Traveller series, came 9th at the End of Seasons and 19th for GBR in the UK Optimist nationals.
In the Cadet class, he sailed in the leading GBR Cadet on day one, came 6th and then 1st in the under 13s at Waldringfield Cadet Week in East Suffolk and 8th in the World Team Qualifier at Stone Sailing Club in Essex.
Jamie was delighted with his award: "It was great to have my family there, including my grandparents, as I could not sail without all their support and I wouldn't be able to sail the Cadet without my sister!
“I was interested to hear about Youth Champion winner [and disabled sailor] Natasha Lambert and to learn how she manages to sail Miss Isle.
“From the announcer, I found out that Nick Thompson started out in the same classes as me, the Oppie and the Cadet. He shows that you can go on to sail full-time. I hope he can make Rio and achieve an Olympic medal."
RYA Sport Development Manager Duncan Truswell commented: “At the RYA we believe 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. Of course, all this wouldn’t be possible without the support of their parents, guardians, coaches, trainers, club officials and friends. Our congratulations go to all the worthy Regional Youth Champion winners – some of them are undoubtedly the rising stars of the future and I’m sure many may indeed follow in the footsteps of our successful Olympians, world champions and record breakers.”
You can visit the Youth Champion web page for more information on the RYA Regional Youth Champion Awards.