Young sailor is on the crest of a wave

AN adventurous young Ripon Grammar School sailor is on the crest of a wave after competing in regional championships.

Year 7 student Callum Priest took part in the northern Youth Sailing Association two-day junior team racing championships at Ripon Sailing Club.

His Ripon Rotters blue team, the youngest in the competition, took third place in the bronze fleet category, with Callum helming an RS Feva.

The 11-year-old comes from a sailing family and got his first sailing dinghy when he was eight years old. A member of Ripon Sailing Club, near Knaresborough, he sails most weekends.

Now racing against sailors who are competing at national and international levels, his ambition is to compete at the national championships in Largs next year.

At his latest event, competitors sailed in two-person dinghies with two boats in each team, with each race taking between five and ten minutes to complete.

At the end of the second day, Callum’s Rotters blue team achieved six wins and three losses over nine tough races.

“This took them to an excellent third place overall in the bronze fleet which was an absolutely fantastic result for such a young group of sailors and everyone at Ripon Sailing Club is very proud of their efforts,” said a club spokesperson.

Calum, who also enjoys karate and Scouting, has won several junior sailing trophies and this season moved from the regatta (training) fleet to the main fleet at regional events.

He’s now looking forward to winter training sessions in normal single-handed dinghies and planning to participate in some more double hander events next season.

*Ripon Sailing Club holds monthly youth and junior training sessions for sailors between six to 16yrs old and regular sailing courses through the summer months: https://www.ripon-sc.org.uk/