Top Sailor Award For Rhys
At an awards ceremony held as part of the RYA Scotland AGM, Rhys Cornfield (11) of Kincraig and a pupil of Kingussie High School, was awarded the prestigious RYA Scotland Young Sailor of the Year Award. This is the first time in the history of the RYA Annual Awards that a windsurfer has been selected from Scottish sailors and windsurfers under the age of 14.
The guest speaker at the ceremony was Stephen Park OBE, RYA’s Olympic Manager for Team GBR at the Beijing Olympics. As part of the award presentation Rhys’s 2008 achievements were read out and included 9 first places from 13 competions held throughout England and Scotland. He secured a second Scottish Championship by winning the 5.5m Open at Largs, he came 3rd in the RYA National Junior Championships at Rutland Water, and topped a highly successful season by being selected for the Scottish Windsurfing Squad. Rhys expressed his thanks and appreciation for the coaching assistance he had received from the RYA throughout the winter at the National Sailing Centre on the Isle of Cumbrae. He also recorded his appreciation of Glenmore Lodge for making their facilities available for his winter training programme. Never forgetting how his passion for windsurfing started, Rhys is always appreciative of Jonny & Andy Freshwater of Loch Insh Watersports. Without their training expertise and superb facilities none of this would have come about!
Guest speaker Stephen Park or “Sparky” as he is affectionately known in Olympic and sailing circles, made a 45 minute highly informative and inspirational presentation. Stephen will be managing Team GBR at the London Olympics and he will be hoping to replicate his incredible successes at Athens and Beijing.
