Optimist Sailing wins YJA Yound Sailor
The 2002 Young Sailor of the Year award goes to a 14-year-old Optmist Sailor Hannah Mills. Ben Ainsle takes the 2002 YJA Yachtsman of the Year award for an astonishing third time...
The 2002 Young Sailor of the Year award goes to which is supported by MDL, goes to 14-year-old Hannah Mills from Glamorgan, Wales following her success during the past year in winning the Optimist National Championship and finishing 9th overall and 2nd girl at the World Championship in Texas the second best result British result ever, and best ever for a girl.
She beat six other promising British youth sailors including 18 year old 420 Class champion Nic Asher from Lowestoft, Laser sailor Giles Scott from Cambridge, 420 champions Charlotte Savage and Maia Walsh from Birmingham, and Youth World Champions Pippa Wilson and Jenny Marks from Lymington and Pitsford.
Ben Ainslie from Lymington, Hampshire is named today as the 2002 YJA Yachtsman of the Year. He wins this top yachting award for an unprecedented third time ahead of four other top British names in the sport Route du Rhum Transatlantic Race winner Ellen MacArthur, four-time World Class 1 Powerboat champion Steve Curtis, Star Class world champions Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell, and Peter Harrison and his GBR Americas Cup Challenge team.
The YJA Yachtsman of the Year and Young Sailor of the Year Awards are voted on by members of the Yachting Journalists Association who represent all disciplines of the sport. The YJA Yachtsman of the Year Award is now in its 47th year. The award is presented to the person whose achievement in the past year most justifies the title. It was instigated in 1955 by Sir Max Aitken and has been the premier award in British yachting ever since.
The YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award which has been actively supported by the marina group MDL for several years, recognises the achievement and endeavour by a young sailor in any discipline of the sport. Organised by the YJA in conjunction with the Royal Yachting Association though its 13 regions, it is open to any person under the age of 19 at 31st December 2002.