Oakhamians win RYA Regional Young Sailor of the Year

Alice Kent and Lucy Childs will receive their awards as RYA East Midlands Region Young Sailors of the Year at the London International Boat Show on Saturday 9th January. They are among several Oakhamians training in National Squads.

Both Alice and Lucy arrived at Oakham having already sailed before, Alice in Fevas and Lucy in Optimists. Prompted by their coach and recognising the potential in each other, they paired up and soon won a place in the 2007 Feva National Squad. Training throughout the winter and racing on the summer circuit with the rest of the Oakham sailing team, they finished 10th overall and 3rd Ladies at the 2008 World Championships in Sweden, winning the UK Inland Championships later that year. More National Squad training that winter set them up for 2nd overall and 1st Ladies at the 2009 European Championships in Italy this summer.

Quite a few sailors have been beaten by a ‘Kent’. Alice’s older sister Cathy was Captain of Sailing and younger sister Sarah has just been selected for the 2009 National Squad alongside other Oakhamians Emily Nagel, Cathy Lear and Francine Counsell. The Oakham sailing team will be travelling en masse to France next summer for the World Championships at Carnac in Brittany.