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RYA NEWS HEADLINES

October 8th 2009

RYA APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE 

The RYA is pleased to announce that it has appointed Sarah Treseder as its new Chief Executive.   

Richard Langford, RYA Chairman said of her appointment: “Finding someone to fill Rod’s shoes was obviously quite a challenge for us.  However, Sarah’s excellent management experience and leadership skills combined with her own personal recreational boating will be a true asset to the RYA, its members and the boating community as a whole. 

“Her appointment, I believe, will bring an exciting new dimension to the RYA and to the marine leisure sector”.  

Sarah will take up the post in February 2010, when she will work alongside the current CEO, Rod Carr OBE, for a month before his retirement in March. 

Sarah Treseder: “To be Chief Executive of the RYA is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and I will devote all my passion, dedication and experience to making a success of the role. 

“I have been involved in cruising and racing boats all my life, and I believe that my varied experience in business and on the water will help me to connect with the sport at all levels; from grassroots programmes to the higher echelons of the racing community. 

 “I am very much looking forward to joining the team at the RYA next year and to working alongside Rod for the month.  He has made an enormous contribution to boating in the UK and will be a hard act to follow”. 

Sarah joins the RYA from The Admirable Crichton, a private luxury events company, and has extensive management experience combined with a broad sailing experience from cruising in the south west of England, France, the Channel Islands and further afield to racing in dinghies, yachts and keelboats. Currently, Sarah joint owns a Sigma 33 which she sails on the south coast. 

Career summary

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For more information:

Emma Slater

RYA Press Office

Tel: 02380 604 215

Email: emma.slater@rya.org.uk

www.rya.org.uk

Teams set for RYA National Match Racing Grand Final

Eleven teams will go head-to-head at Queen Mary Sailing Club (Staines) over the next three days (9-11 October) to battle it out for the title of 2009 RYA National Match Racing Champions.

Crews earned their berths at the final through the seven qualifying rounds, the RYA Youth National Match Racing Championships, through their positions in the ISAF world rankings, or as defending champion, with all 11 skippers now having the chance to bid for the coveted 2009 National crown.

Britain’s top ISAF ranked skipper at the event is Ali Hall, sailing with his crew Rob Grieg-Gran, Simon Skinner and Gaz Owen. Having won the Scarlino Match Racing Championships earlier this year Hall will be keen to assert his rank at the event and repeat his winning performance.     

However, hot on his heels will be Nick Cherry, who will be more eager than ever to get his hands back on the RYA National Match Racing Champion trophy. Having won the finals twice in row at the 2006 and 2007 events, Cherry handed back the title to two-time match racing champion (2004, 2005) Mark Campbell-James last year, after beating him in the semi-finals and cruising to victory.

And stepping the competition up yet another level, 29-year-old Campbell-James will be back at the event defending his title and bidding for outright second place on the all-time-winners list behind double World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams.  

The UK’s top three female ranked skippers, Lucy Macgregor, Mary Rook, and Katie Archer, will also be battling it out at the event keen to assert some female authority on the proceedings.           

Putting together a strong campaign competing at almost all the qualifying events this year, young skipper Mark Lees secured his place at the finals over the August bank holiday by claiming victory at the RYA National Youth Match Racing Championships. Lees took the Youth crown from two-time Youth Champion Sam Goodchild who moved up out of the Youth category this year and sealed a place at the finals winning Qualifier 2.    

Also qualifying for the Finals at the Youth National Championships was rookie skipper Nick Wilkinson who took runners-up spot having moved up from crewing for Goodchild to skipper his own crew this year of Rory Spriggs, Guy Stephens Sam Delo and Jonty Cook. And victory at Qualifier 1 back in April tied up Ian Dobson’s National final spot with Andy Shaw securing his berth for the three days having won the BUSA (British University Sailing Association) Match Racing Championships.

Racing, in J80s, gets underway at 10:00 on Friday (9 October) with a 22 flight round-robin which will be followed by knock-out quarter-final and semi-final rounds before the Champion is decided in the final round on Sunday.  

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Ellie Williamson
RYA Racing Communications Officer
T: 023 80 604219

M: 07769 505203

E: ellie.williamson@rya.org.uk