Last year's Young Sailor of the Year wins her first major single-handed race ahead of the OSTAR

When Katie Miller entered the bluQube Solo 1000, the aim had been simple: to qualify for the OSTAR single handed race. The last thing she expected was to win her class. But that is exactly what she did do, as well as taking overall honours, awarded the “Saltire Quaiche” for best rookie and the bluQube Endeavour Trophy voted for by competing skippers.

The bluQube Solo 1000, organised by Petit Bateau, was made up of three legs from Mylor-Kinsale-Santander-Cameret sur la Mer (the Kinsale to Santander leg represented the official qualifier for the OSTAR 2009).

This, Katie’s longest solo trip to date and first significant offshore race, has been the biggest event in the racing calendar for this year. Currently studying Yacht Production and Surveying at Southampton Solent University, Katie has been sponsored by Raymarine and McMurdo since her circumnavigation of the UK in 2006 to raise money for The Ellen MacArthur Trust.

For more information, visit www.katiemillerracing.com .