Emsworth sailing duo make Great Britain team

After five days of exhilarating sail racing at the 2011 RYA Volvo Youth Nationals last week selectors for the 2011 RYA Volvo Team Great Britain Youth Worlds Team announced the 12 sailors, which include local duo Jess Lavery and Georgie Mothersele for the girls’ team.

The pair showed their talent at Hayling Island Sailing Club and will be sailing at the 41st event at the Uskok Sailing Club, in Zadar, Croatia, from the July 7 to 16.

The event is dubbed as the pinnacle event of the youth sailing calendar, seen by many as the youth Olympics for sailing, and has over the years identified talented sailors such as Olympic gold medallists Ben Ainslie and Sarah Ayton.

Sixteen-year-olds Lavery and Mothersele had a fantastic week leading the way for the female 420 crews by finishing the regatta third overall and were crowned 420 female champions and made members of the RYA Volvo Team.

Portsmouth Grammar School student Lavery said: “We are delighted to have been selected for team Great Britain, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet, but we are really looking forward to competing in our first youth world championships.

“This week has been hard work and has been quite tiring at times but we are over the moon to have finished third overall and we have really enjoyed it.”

Mothersele, who attend sBishop Luffa School, Chichester, said: “We have both gained a lot in terms of experience at this regatta and have learnt to start our day of with a specific routine and have focused on priorities when racing. The youth worlds is going to be a great learning curve and will prepare us for future international events which we race in.”

The 420 duo have made huge improvements since last year’s championships as they finished 17th overall, compared to their spectacular overall third at this year’s championships.

The 12 sailors who have been picked to represent Great Britain have all proved their worth this week, all winning their individual classes to earn their place in the team as RYA Youth Racing Manager Duncan Truswell explained.

He said: “This year the level of sailing has been excellent. In most of the classes the racing has been extremely close and I believe we have a good all round solid team.

“We have got a real mix between experience and youth as we have got a number of sailors who went last year and a number of new faces who have been very quick this week in similar conditions to those expected in Croatia.”

Skandia Team Great Britain and Team Volvo for life sailor Paul Goodison, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist in the Laser class, said: “It is now important that the sailors who have been selected for the 2011 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships have a clear and focused training regime between now and July.

“The young sailors need to research the conditions expected in Croatia, which I expect will be very light winds ranging from 8-10 knots, and understand what is needed to do well.”

Both Lavery and Mothersele would like to thanks their sponsors, local software company MicroSec.

For more information and final results from the 2011 RYA Volvo Youth National Championships, visit www.ryaracingevents.org.uk