Ellis and Glover take title

The RYA Youth sailors have won the SL16 World Championships

James Ellis and Andrew Glover are the new SL16 Youth World champions. In an awesome World class Championships for the RYA Youth Squad pair in La Baule, France, 18-year-old Ellis and Glover, 16, also picked up overall Open silver on their way to the Under 19 Youth title.

Christchurch’s Adam Butler, 16, and 14-year-old Gilly Sutcliffe, from Marlborough, ensured it was a regatta to celebrate for RYA Team GBR as the 2008 RYA National Youth champions also picked up Under 19 bronze in finishing a very creditable fifth overall.

The La Baule gold and silver meant that Ellis, from Wembury, and Weymouth’s Glover have collected the full complement of silverware this summer having also won SL16 class bronze at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Denmark in July.

In taking class Youth World victory in France, the British pair also sailed ISAF Youth World gold medallists, French brothers Romain and Valentin Bellett into second.

The overall Open class World title went to Elodie Wuilmart and Benjamin Dutreux (FRA).

Delighted RYA Youth Racing Manager Simon Wergan said: “James and Andrew have worked so hard all year and thoroughly deserve their success at La Baule. They are both extremely talented individuals and have gone from strength to strength as a team as the year has gone on. Their coach Paul Wakelin has made a real difference to their performance since coming into the class.

“Both of their medals were won by a very comfortable margin and they should be very proud of the fact they continued to work hard after the ISAF Youth Worlds and have got the deserved rewards.

“The bronze for Adam and Gilly was the icing on the cake. They showed their potential in winning the RYA National Youth Championship title at Pwllheli in April and are undoubtedly both very talented, exciting young sailors.”