National championship wins for young Lymington trio

THREE Lymington sailors, William and Vita Heathcote and Milly Boyle have been crowned champions at the RYA Youth National Championships.

Vita and Milly combined to win the 420 girls’ championship, and William teamed up with Cheshire based Haydn Sewell to lift the 420 boys’ national title.

Almost 400 youngsters from all over the country took to the world-class waters off Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy over the course of the week to contest youth sailing’s premier regatta.

The young sailors had to contend with all manner of weather, from no breeze to 35 knots and everything in between. After a challenging start to the regatta, it ended champagne sailing in perfect breeze under bright blue skies.

Priestlands student William Heathcote took a break from GCSE revision to win his first national 420 title with Sewell. It was a significant improvement for the duo who finished in fifth place at last years event at Largs.

Defending girls’ 420 champions, Vita and Milly, battled back from a poor first race, that they eventually discarded, to post three first-place finishes over the next eight races.

Their final total meant they finished second overall in the 420 fleet and were the first girl crew home to claim their second national title.

Helm Vita and crew Milly are studying for their A-levels at Peter Symonds. Next year they plan to switch to the 470 class as they push for future Olympic selection.

Several other young Lymington sailors contested other classes at the regatta. In the 29er class, Royal Lymington’s Emily Mueller and her crew Florence Brellisford (Royal Corinthian YC) came 11th in the gold fleet race to finish 24 overall.

Lymington’s Delfina Sesto Cosby and Blythe Berry (HISC) were seventh in the 29er silver fleet race.

In the Radial boys’ fleet, Christchurch Sailing Club/RLYC’s Drew Barnes finished eighth.