Sailing success reaches Feva pitch for Louis and Freddie

Peters and 13-year-old Johnson, who sail at Hayling Island Sailing Club, were crowned winners having shown exceptional consistency throughout the championship in every possible weather condition. The event saw a range of conditions, with the first two days raced in light and sunny conditions which saw extremely close racing throughout. Monday and Tuesday saw much windier conditions providing champagne sailing conditions for the fleet, split into gold and silver fleets. Peters and Johnson dominated the gold fleet counting three firsts and discarding an eighth when their jib broke. The final day of racing saw winds of 22-29 knots which proved challenging but truly exhilarating for the young sailors. They followed their form and finished first, securing the RS Feva National Championship title. RYA Team GBR sailors Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign from the 49er class presented the prizes to the young RS Feva sailors after the four days of close racing at Weymouth and Portland. The pair are sponsored by Harken (marine equipment) and Zhik (clothing). The PA Consulting UK RS Feva Nationals was a highly-successful event attracting 110 boats with 220 young sailors participating. Pictured: Louis Johnson (left) with Freddie Peters and the GBR 49er team sailors – image Peter Newton National Champions Freddie Peters and Louis Johnson (HISC) image Peter Newton ITCHENOR The Max Mirror Mission came to to Itchenor shores after bad weather forced its postponement in April. A key element in youth sailing at Itchenor Sailing Club is the development of younger and less experienced sailors. This is the aim of the Mirror Max Mission, an event designed to boost confidence on the water and provide a fun opportunity for inexperienced sailors to learn while making new friends. It was a fully-subscribed event with 50 youngsters aged between seven and 12 take part in 25 Mirror class dinghies. The day started with an on-shore practical tutorial on rigging and set-up. The fleet was then split into groups for the passage from Itchenor to East Head. Each group had its own support boat fully stocked with confectionery and the least experienced crews had a teenage member with them. The 11-knot north-easterly and the last of the ebb provided perfect conditions to get the boats to East Head. With a low tide there was plenty of beach for games such as British bulldog, capture the flag, splat and football followed by a packed lunch. The flood tide after lunch helped the fleet back to Itchenor for a de-brief followed by an early supper while the parents enjoyed a well-deserved drink on the lawn in the evening sun. All involved had a wonderful time and now Itchenor Sailing Club officials are looking forward to upcoming youth events including Schools Week from June 27 and Junior Fortnight from July 25. For more information please visit www.itchenorsc.co.uk Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking sports news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on. 1 Make this website your homepage 2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex 3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex 4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. Share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!