Each month, outstanding graduates from the RYA Youth Programme are awarded The Marlow Ropes Award. This entitles them to a year’s supply of Marlow rope for their boat.

This month Tristain Jaques and Alain Sign completed the RYA Youth Programme with 29er National and World titles to their names and were put forward for the award by RYA development manager, Barrie Edgington.

As first crew to gain a clean sweep in all events in the same year, winning the RYA National Youth Championships and Trials, the 29er World Championships in Switzerland, the 29er Eurocup and 29er Inland Championship, the award is well deserved.

The pair are facing a fresh challenge as they embark on a 470 campaign as RYA Olympic transitional sailors. They will be helped on their way by Marlow Ropes Ltd as they kit out their new boat as well as having access to expertise and new technology for the forthcoming season.The news comes at a crucial time as Jaques and Sign begin to find their feet in the competitive 470 class, a dinghy that is very different from the 29er skiff.

Speaking about the past year and the Marlow sponsorship award Jaques said” “Stepping into the 470 will be a massive learning curve but the new boat will certainly improve our sailing skills having sailed a skiff for the majority of our sailing careers. It’s been an amazing year that has built up a lot of confidence within myself and for the both of us, made us realise that we have a chance of succeeding at the highest level in the sport.”

Over the winter months the team will be training at the RYA World Class Performance Training Camps along side some established names in the 470 class. During 2005 they have decided that before they set themselves goals at events they will be concentrating on making the boat sail fast.

RYA Olympic Development Squad Manager, Barrie Edgington said: “It is great that we have fantastic talent such as Tristain and Alain coming up from the RYA Youth Programme into the RYA Olympic Programme and we welcome them as RYA Olympic transitional sailors. Changing classes and making the transition into Olympic sailing can be quite expensive and that is why we are so grateful to have Marlow Ropes Ltd onboard with the RYA and being able to offer invaluable sponsorship which will help to develop our future Olympic talent.”