Katie Miller has won the Raymarine/YJA Young sailor of the Year award, presented by Dee Caffari this afternoon at the Collins Stewart London Boat Show.

Following in the footsteps of previous winner world class yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur 19-year-old Katie Miller from Birmingham won the award for completing an eastabout circumnavigation of the United Kingdom in a 21ft Coribbee Elektra. Interestingly it was almost 10 years to the day after MacArthur completed her first solo voyage see previous yachtingworld.com news story here . Miller’s inspirational three-month voyage enabled her to raise over £7,000 for the Ellen MacArthur Trust.

Chatting to yachtingworld.com at the today’s award’s ceremony Miller said: “It’s amazing really I didn’t expect anything like that at all. I only found out four weeks ago that I was a finalist. It’s just an honour to win such a prestigious award with such great names on it.”

And immediate future sailing plans? Miller continued: “Well I’m at university for the next three years but I’m looking at perhaps trying to do a bit of Mini Transat sailing to get some more experience and it’s also the natural step.”

In winning today’s award Miller, who’s currently studying Yacht Manufacture and Surveying at Southampton Solent University, beat stiff competition from Olympic Development Squad sailor Dylan Fletcher; Tom Phipps, one of GBR’s most successful youth sailors; and young watersports instructor Dan Simpson.

Following nominations by the general public and Royal Yachting Association affiliated clubs, the awards were voted for by the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA).

Dee Caffari also presented awards to the RYA Regional Winners:
Hamish Stone and Aaron Woolf East
Dylan Fletcher East Midlands
Thomas Holland NE
Andrew Brown NW
Tiffany Brien Northern Ireland
Anna Burnet Scottish
Katrina and Chris Brewer South
Elliot Carney SE
Izzy Hamilton SW
Hannah Mills and Peggy Webster Welsh
Richard Hamilton Yorkshire and Humberside
Dan Simpson Thames Valley

The winner of Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year will be announced at midday on Tuesday 9 January, at an awards ceremony to be held at The Painted Hall, The Naval Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Finalists for this prestigious title include 470 World Champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis, world record holder Dee Caffari, and Steve Curtis, considered the best international powerboat racer of all times.