Laurence Greenough has been named Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year, following in the footsteps of past winners Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie, and recordbreaker Dame Ellen MacArthur.
Laurence, 12, from Plymouth, who is a pupil at Devonport High School for Boys, wins the award for his courage and determination to overcome adversity.
Laurence lost his left leg in a boating accident in May 2006 but was back sailing just two months later in an unmodified boat. His commitment to helping others and encouraging potential young sailors is extraordinary for someone of his age.
A member of the Plymouth Youth Sailing Club, Laurence took part in the Topper Travellers in the South West Zone in 2007 and also competed in the NSSA National Regatta where he finished 15th Topper out of 76.
Stuart Jones, Secretary of the Plymouth Youth Sailing Club, said: “Laurence is an exceptional young man, with a huge amount of talent. His willpower to not let anything stop him must be admired.”
The awards ceremony was held at the Collins Stewart London Boat Show. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston presented Laurence with his trophy. Sir Robin first made history in 1969 when he became the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world. He said he entered the Velux 5 Oceans Race, which finished in May 2007, to prove that age is not a barrier to getting out and doing things in life.
Laurence beat off stiff competition from windsurfer Alistair Masters, a member of the RYA Youth Squad who has dominated domestic and international competition in the Techno 293 junior windsurfing class; Holly Scott, a crew member of the winning boat which scooped the Mirror World Championship 2007; Topper World Champion Michael Wood, who devotes hours of his own time to training other youngsters in the RYA West Zone Squad; and Tom Gillard, the first RYA Team GBR sailor to win the 420 European Championships.
Following nominations by the general public and Royal Yachting Association affiliated clubs, the awards were voted for by the Yachting Journalists' Association (YJA).
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston also presented awards to the RYA Regional Winners:
