ON THE WATER ˀ˔˧˖˛ ˥˔˖˜˚ Talented youth team takes on the world, led by an inspiring skipper
Away match W
hen the British team assembled in December at World Sailing’s Youth Match Racing
World Championship in Australia, it followed a season of outstanding results for them. Skipper Ben Tylecote and brother Jamie, along with Freya Pembery, Terry Hacker and Finn Morris, won the 2023 EUROSAF Match Racing Youth Europeans and the RYA Harken Youth Match Racing National Championship. The team warmed ˨ˣ ˙˥ ˧˛˘ ˊ˥˗˦ ˕ Ѓ˜˦˛˜˚ ˔ impressive second at the Harken International Youth Match Racing event in Newport, New South Wales. Held in Sydney Harbour, the
Worlds saw 12 teams, representing ten nations, compete in Elliott 7s. Ben, a member of Rutland Sailing Club and Royal Thames Yacht Club, said of the event: ‘It was a challenging venue with constantly changing conditions. The ʴ˨˦˧˥˔˜˔˦ ˗Ϡ˧ ˕˘˜˘˩˘ ˜ ˥˘˘Ѓ˚ʡ Whatever the wind it’s full rigs, including spinnakers. It was full-on!’ The success of the week before
was hard to repeat and at the end of the second day the team wasn’t in the top four so they had to do battle going into the trial heat. Ben explained, ‘We got off to a good start, winning some critical races. However, the wind continued to build and we struggled for speed in the strong breeze. We fought hard so were disappointed to miss out ˔ ˤ˨˔˥˧˘˥ʠЃ˔ ˦ˣ˧ʡϠ ˇ˛˘ ˧˘˔ˠ Ѓ˜˦˛˘˗ ˧˘˧˛ʡ ʵ˘
said, ‘We had a phenomenal time and want to thank everyone who helped us get there, including The RYA Foundation and sponsors. We couldn’t have done it without you.’ ˇ Ѓ˗ ˨˧ ˠ˥˘ ˠ˔˧˖˛ ˥˔˖˜˚ ˩˜˦˜˧
www.ryamatchracing.co.uk
ˆ˔˜˜˚ ˦˔˖˧˨˔˥
Now a Loughborough University student, Ben’s competitive sailing was a way for him to recover after he was diagnosed at age 12 with an aggressive cancer, which led to his right eye being removed. ’When I was ill, sailing was my only escape, and it still remains a refuge. To other sailors facing adversity I’d say, don’t worry about missing things – you can skip months, even years, and still get back to where you want to be.’ Ben then went on to win the RYA Eric Twiname National Team Racing
Championships in 2019. ‘I was sailing with friends I’d known since we were toddlers. We were a very young team and didn’t expect to win. Coming off the back of my illness, that was extra special.’ Involvement in team racing and the British Schools Dinghy Racing
Association offered a chance for Ben and his friends to try keelboat sailing at the RYA Schools Match Racing Championship in 2021, where ˧˛˘ Ѓ˜˦˛˘˗ ˦˘˖˗ ˩˘˥˔ʡ ˇ˛˘ ˧˘˔ˠϠ˦ ˚˜˚ ˦˨˖˖˘˦˦ ˜˧ ʥʣʥʦ ˦˔ ˧˛˘ˠ ˜ ˧˛˘˜˥ Ѓ˥˦˧ ˦˘˜˥ ˘˩˘˧˦ ˔˗ ˖˔˜ˠ ˔˧˜˔ ˔˗ ʸ˨˥ˣ˘˔ ˨˧˛ match racing titles. This year the team have been
Results have kept rolling in for this young racing crew.
invited to Grade 2 match racing ˘˩˘˧˦ ˤ˨˔˜Ѓ˘˥˦ ˧˔˥˗˦ their dream of competing in the World Match Racing Tour. Ben said they’re keen to make the most of their time at the Worlds. ‘We sailed to the best of our ability – it was an awesome experience.’
rya.org.uk SPRING 2024 57
Ben Tylecote (centre) with his
long-standing match racing team, who won national and European titles last year.
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