ST ALBANS sailing star Annabel Catermole will be laying down the gauntlet to Britain’s top sailors as she bids to land gold at the 2013 RYA Youth National Championships over the Easter break.

Around 350 of the country’s finest Youth dinghy racers and windsurfers will converge on the West Coast of Scotland for five days on April 1 to do battle at what is regarded as Britain’s premier annual Youth sail racing event.

17-year-old Catermole, who is a member of Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club, finished the annual event seventh girl last year and will be hoping to improve on her performance and overall result from last year’s regatta in North Wales.

The Beaumont School student, who competes with Bryony Bennett-Lloyd from Norwich in the double-handed 420 dinghy, has started her season off strong with an eighth overall and first girl at the 420 Tiger Trophy in February, and more recently she finished fifth overall and first girl at the season’s opening qualifying event for the 420 class World Championships, proving she is in fine form with her sights firmly set on the win for this year’s event.

The event has over the years helped to identify and develop some of Britain’s most talented sailors, such as multiple Olympic gold medallists Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Sarah Ayton.

As always the event doubles up as a selection event for the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, which this year take places in Limmassol, Cyprus.

RYA Youth Racing Manager, Duncan Truswell, said: “The RYA Youth National Championships represents the first major opportunity of the new season for Youth Sailors from around the UK and beyond to compete against each other and contest for selection to International Teams across the range of classes.

“The event always sees some fierce competition, some surprises and some early indications of who to look out for vying to win medals for GBR at World and European Championships this summer, and who will be looking to progress into RYA Volvo Team GBR, the British Team for the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship and strive to defend the title as the World’s top youth sailing nation.”

Truswell concluded: “Largs Sailing Club, the Scottish Sailing Institute and us at the RYA are all looking forward to doing our very best to deliver a great experience and a fantastic Championship.”

The RYA Youth Racing programme receives generous support from title sponsor Volvo Car UK and official clothing supplier Henri Lloyd.

For more information on the 2013 RYA Youth National Championships please visit the event website, ‘Like’ us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.