Littlewood Takes U17 Silver at Laser World Champs

WA sailor Zac Littlewood has taken second place in the U17 category at the Youth Laser Radial World Championships in the Netherlands.

The 16 year-old Applecross resident was 10^th overall in the U19 fleet, marking an impressive campaign for the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club member.

Littlewood was joined in competition in Medemblik by 18 year-old WA sailor Caelin Winchcombe who himself recorded a top 20 finish in 16^th position, from a total fleet of 280 entered boats.

In taking 10^th place, Littlewood recorded five top 10 race finishes with a best effort of second in the fourth qualification race.

The gold medal was won by Greece’s Dimitris Papadimitriou, ahead of Argentine Matias Dietrich and Hong Kong’s Nicholas Bezy.

Medemblik is also currently hosting the open Laser Radial World Championships with WA sailors Zoe Thomson and Elyse Ainsworth both in action.

Following four races, Thomson is currently ranked 33^rd, with Ainsworth further back in 79^th.

Meanwhile, Chris Charlwood and his crew Josh Dawson currently sit 22^nd in the gold fleet at the 470 Japan Championships being contested in Enoshima – venue of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The pair will next week contest the 470 Junior World Championships. Charlwood was assisted in his journey to compete for Australia through a scholarship awarded to him through the Carbine Club of Western Australia.

In the women’s fleet, WA sailor Orla Mulholland-Patterson is crewing with skipper Sophie McIntosh with the pair currently 14^th overall. WA duo Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries are ranked 25^th.