Sailing into success
7:47pm Monday 31st December 2007
A YOUNG sailor from Appleton is celebrating a year of success after being crowned SportsAid One to Watch' Young Athlete of the Year.
Prior to this accolade from the national sporting charity, Andrew Brown started his roll of achievements by winning the Warrington Under 16 Sports Personality of the Year' and the RYA North West Region Young Sailor of the Year'.
In May, he won the Topper GB Inland Championships before scooping the Topper's national championship title in August when he competed against 288 sailors to become the most successful junior sailor in the UK for 20 years.
A member of the RYA Laser Radial National Youth Squad, Andrew last year moved to the Laser Radial single handed class, the youth transition class to the Olympic Standard Rig and was awarded the title of Dinghy Sailing Magazine Young Sailor of the Month' in November.
The young sailor was given a helping hand along his road to success when he was chosen to receive £500 in funding to help him pursue his dream of sailing from SportAid and a personal injury and conveyancing solicitors Scott Rees and Co six months before his crowning.
Andrew said: "I am delighted with what I have achieved this year and the funding from Scott Rees has been a real help.
"Sailing is an expensive sport and the funding has helped me pay for my travel expenses and vital equipment."