After a difficult, stressful regatta which saw breezes rarely above 6 knots, Team GBR Volvo Youth Squad sailors scored three top 10 overall results at the 420 world championship which finished on 27 July at Marina di Ravenna on Italy’s Adriatic coast.

Team GBR Volvo RYA Youth Squad coach Bunny Warren describes it as the best team performance for many years and with Nic Asher and Paul Davies finishing ninth, the best boys’ result since a young John Merricks, who went on to win the 470 world champs and an Olympic 470 silver medal.

The next best recent GBR result in the 420 open fleet was an 11th in 1998. Former Youth World Champions Victoria and Emma Rawlinson finished fourth overall in the Womens’ fleet scoring six top 10 results but also sustained a BFD disqualification in race three. Gemma Farrell and Jo Allen finished 10th and suffered a DSQ. In the boys’ racing Nic Asher and Paul Davies finished ninth overall while Atholl and Eamonn King landed two consecutive BFD disqualifications which left them counting a 55th and a 63rd to end up 33rd overall when they were on course for a mid-teens result. “This has been the toughest championship in the 16 that I have known as coach or competitor, and our team have performed outstandingly under difficult conditions. The team morale throughout has been excellent. There have been numerous issues with black flag disqualifications and various jury decisions.” Commented coach Team GBR Volvo RYA 420 Youth coach Bunny Warren.

Overall Results

Women

1, E Saccheggiana/M Bertone (ITA) 30pts

2, S & A Postogna (ITA) 58pts

3, C Mariani/C Gabrielli (ITA) 60pts

4, Soe Su Myat/Nan Khaw Say (MYA) 64pts

5, V & E Rawlinson (GBR/Hants) 70pts (1,4,BFD,8, 23,6,16,3,19,40)

Other selected Team GB Volvo RYA Youth Squad

10, G Farrell/J Allen (GBR/Oxford) 97pts

44, H Mayhew/J Scott (GBR) 268pts

48, C Odell/K Hopson (GBR) 296pts

Boys

1, M & G Mazzotti (ITA) 60pts

2, R Medina/J Ruiz Cerezo (ESP) 66pts

3, B Danti/F Greggio (ITA) 76pts

4, M Pressich/G De Gavardo (ITA) 96pts

5, G & D Catta (ITA) 106pts

Selected Team GB Volvo RYA Youth Squad

9, N Asher/P Davies (Essex/Norfolk) 119pts (39,16,7,53,17,15,7,7,35,15)

36, A & E King 262pts

47, I Martin/L Fitzjohn-Sykes 314pts

51, M & E Willis 333pts