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Third place finish for Ripon sailor at northern team championships

Wednesday, 15 October 2025 07:26

11-year-old Callum Priest.

An adventurous young sailor from Ripon Grammar School is celebrating success after competing in regional sailing championships.

Year 7 student Callum Priest took part in the Northern Youth Sailing Association’s two-day junior team racing championships, hosted at Ripon Sailing Club.

Callum’s Ripon Rotters blue team, the youngest in the competition, secured third place in the bronze fleet category, with Callum helming an RS Feva.

The 11-year-old, who comes from a sailing family, began sailing at the age of eight after getting his first dinghy.

A regular at Ripon Sailing Club near Knaresborough, he spends most weekends on the water.

Now racing against competitors with national and international experience, Callum hopes to qualify for the national championships in Largs next year.

The latest event saw competitors race in two-person dinghies, with two boats per team, in short five-to-ten-minute races. Over two days, Callum’s team recorded six wins and three losses in nine races.

A club spokesperson said:

“This took them to an excellent third place overall in the bronze fleet which was an absolutely fantastic result for such a young group of sailors and everyone at Ripon Sailing Club is very proud of their efforts."

Callum, who also enjoys karate and Scouting, has already earned several junior sailing trophies.

This season, he advanced from the regatta (training) fleet to the main fleet at regional competitions.

He is now preparing for winter training in single-handed dinghies and plans to take part in more double-hander events next season.

Ripon Sailing Club runs monthly youth and junior training sessions for sailors aged six to sixteen, along with summer sailing courses.

More details can be found at www.ripon-sc.org.uk.

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