Young sailors descend on Derwent Reservoir for regional championships

Young sailors descended on Derwent Reservoir in Northumberland for the North Region Youth and Junior Championships, held on June 20 and 21 at the Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club. The weekend event drew 158 competitors organised by the North East and Yorkshire Youth Sailing Association (NEYYSA). Fiona Spence, NEYYSA chair and event director, said the turnout from the north-east, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire and Liverpool reflected broad regional participation, with some families driving four to five hours. Competition featured 110 sailors in a main championship fleet of 93 boats, plus a green fleet for those moving toward main fleet racing. An event welfare boat, the Puffin RIB, supported crews with water refills, snacks and encouragement between races. Light winds delayed activities on Sunday, allowing rigging and tuning sessions and rule consultations, while the Topper Northern Championships ran alongside, supported by Sailboat Rigging Systems (SRS).