• Home
• Racing and Sailing
• Cadets and Families
• Training
• Membership
• News
• About
• Contact

• Latest news
• Subscribe to News Alerts by Email or Social Media

Club News

Congratulations Ruth Oliver - RYA Regional Young Sailor of the Year for the South East!

Posted: Tuesday, 20 November, 2012

Whitstable Yacht Club cadet Ruth Oliver has won the RYA Regional Young Sailor of the Year Award for the South East region after being nominated by the Sailing Committee. In January she will be treated to a VIP day at the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show followed by the national YJA Pantaenius Young Sailor of the Year Award ceremony where she will receive her Regional Young Sailor trophy.

More details of the prize can be found at the RYA website.

Ruth Oliver is a very active member of the Whitstable Yacht Club, a keen sailor and an enthusiastic volunteer.

She has been sailing at Whitstable since she was 8. For 3 years she was a member of the South East Zone Squad in a Mirror, where she participated in various events around the South East, including the ET Event at Rutland Water. Ruth then moved into Toppers, which she sailed at a club level for 2 years, and even through she was sometimes the only slow handicap boat out on the water, she never gave up! Most recently she has been sailing a Laser Radial, and despite sailing in a wide range of conditions against some of the South East’s finest club racers in the Laser fleet, she regularly places above older and more experienced sailors, and has an enviable collection of trophies!

At the age of 14 Ruth started helping out at the Wild Times Sailing and Windsurfing School attached to the Whitstable Yacht Club. She has qualified as an Assistant Instructor, gained her Powerboat Level 2, and plans to become a fully qualified instructor in January when she turns 16. For the past 2 summers, she has taught at the school, helping to organise and train the cadets in the Wednesday Evening topper race training and at the kids weeks. She has also been instrumental in organising the cadet social evenings that have been so successful on the first Friday evening of the month.

Ruth has been a member of the Sailing Committee, representing the club’s cadets, for 2 years, attending the monthly Monday evening meetings after school to ensure that the needs of the younger members are represented. She also keen to do duties at the club, and when she’s not sailing, can often be found in the race tower performing the role of Assistant Race Officer, or helping the Safety Boat Crew.

It’s really hard to believe that this very competent young lady is still only 15 years old. She is enthusiastic and always willing to help out anyone who is less experienced than herself, especially the younger members of the club.

Thanks to Jason Wild for supplying the photo.