RS Feva World Championships: Northern Irish sailors take on the best in The Netherlands
Six Northern Irish sailors competed at the recent RS Feva Championships held in Bruinisse, The Netherlands.
Emily Ridout, Annabel Ridout, Matthew Ridout, Peter Ridout, Jakub Ozarek and Abbie Stocking took part in the competition which had 173 participants from all over the globe.
The competition was stiff, but the Northern Irish sailors performed well producing strong results including a 3rd place in race 5 for Annabel and Emily Ridout.
Speaking after the final day Emily and Annabel said: “The event has been really good and very well organised.
“Scoring a 3rd in a Gold Fleet race was probably our most memorable moment of the regatta. It was definitely worth coming to the Netherlands.”
The RS Feva is a growing class within Northern Ireland, so it was pleasing to see Northern Irish sailors travelling to the event and performing well.
RYA Northern Ireland Performance Manager, Andrew Baker, commented: “Double handed sailing is a high priority with our new RYANI Strategy. The discipline is much more prevalent across clubs and wider sailing communities, so it is important to showcase this to our young sailors who historically tend to lean on the single-handed route.
“Over 50% of the Olympic classes are double handed and it is critical that our aspiring sailors see this as a viable performance pathway option.
“I hope the group who travelled to The Netherlands inspire more to follow on and take part next year. I know it means a lot to the coaches who put in the hard work supporting these guys to see the fruits of the labour on the international stage.
“We had a very encouraging Feva turn out to last year’s Youth Championships with 11 Fevas. Given the rise in active club boats and more sailors engaging in the class, I would love to see even more this year.
“We will also be incorporating the 29er Northern Championships into this year’s event. Ideally, we could see double figures in this class and demonstrate options of what's next for the Feva sailors.”
Northern Irish sailor results
Emily Ridout and Annabel Ridout, Ballyholme Yacht Club- 25th overall
Matthew Ridout and Peter Ridout, Ballyholme Yacht Club- 45th overall
Jakob Ozarek and Abbie Stocking, East Down Yacht Club- 89th overall
If you are interested in sailing at the RYA Northern Ireland Youth Championships on 7/8 September in an RS Feva or any other junior and youth classes click here.