On Saturday 2nd March, Holly Wright (Optimist Zone Squad) was announced as one of 3 winners of the 2019 Musto Junior Riders Competition. She was presented, on the Main Stage at the RYA Dinghy Show, with a £500 Musto voucher by Ian Walker MBE (RYA Racing Director, Volvo Ocean Race Winner) and Shirley Roberts (2-time Olympic Gold medalist). It was an exciting moment for her, and further excitement to come with an invitation to enjoy a VIP sailing experience at the 49er / Nacra15 European Open.
The Musto Junior Riders Competition is run in partnership with British Youth Sailing (BYS), as part of Britain’s excellent pathway from grassroots to podium. Potential candidates are nominated by coaches from all the British Youth Sailing squads on the basis that they epitomise British Youth Sailing’s core values. Musto and BYS representatives then sit on a selection panel to choose three worthy winners. They look for sailors who are passionately ambitious, act on their curiosity, show clear courage and determination, take ownership of themselves and display a high level of respect and integrity, both on shore and in the water.
Well done Holly. It was a very proud moment on Saturday afternoon in front of a packed hall with many WKSC members in the audience to see first, Athena Racing win the John Merricks Sailing Trust 2019 Ian Atkins Award, followed immediately after by Holly scooping the 2019 Musto Riders Competition for the Optimists Dolphins.
David Wright
