TWO of Helensburgh and Lomond’s international sailing stars have been honoured for their achievements on the world stage by being made honorary members of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club.
Anna Burnet and Lorenzo Chiavarini were given the accolade at the club’s annual prize-giving – held virtually for the first time – in recognition of their championship-winning performances over recent years.
Burnet partnered John Gimson to the Nacra 17 world championship in Australia last year, while Chiavarini claimed his first major senior sailing title in 2019 when he won gold at the European Laser Championships.
Anna Burnet (Photo - British Sailing Team)
READ MORE: Anna Burnet wins Nacra 17 world championship gold medal in Australia
Burnet will line up alongside fellow RNCYC members Charlotte Dobson and Luke Patience in Team GB at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, while Chiavarini bounced back from a severe back injury he suffered in December 2019 to take third place at the 2020 European Laser Championships in Poland in October.
In recognition of her world championship gold medal in Australia, which secured her place in the Team GB Olympics squad, Burnet was also named as the winner of the RNCYC’s Service Rarity Trophy, awarded to club members for their racing results overseas.
Lorenzo Chiavarini (Photo - Paul Wyeth)
Dobson, meanwhile, was also noted by fellow club members for the silver medal she won with her partner Saskia Tidey in the 49erFX category at the World Championships in Melbourne last year.
READ MORE: RNCYC star Chiavarini wins gold at 2019 European Laser Championships
Closer to home, Alasdair Ireland was the big local prize winner at the ceremony after excelling in the new field of virtual sailing.
Twenty-six RNCYC members have joined in a series of events, encouraged by RYA Scotland, including fleet racing, team racing and the club championships across 90 different races.
Anna Burnet, pictured with her Olympic sailing partner John Gimson, has been made an honorary member of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club (Photo - Matias Capizzano)
Alasdair took first place in the Spring, Summer and Winter Series events and the Spring Club Championships, winning the Hamilton Trophy for his clean sweep of all the club’s events.
READ MORE: A day in the lockdown life of Rhu's Olympic sailing star Charlotte Dobson
He also represented the RNCYC – and won – at the RYA Scottish and UK virtual national championships, and at World Sailing’s e-Sailing Nations Cup, for all of which he was awarded the club’s Hilda Teacher Trophy as ‘helmsman of the year’.
Meanwhile, with lockdown restrictions now slowly being eased, the RNCYC is looking ahead to a full programme of racing and cadet training, as well as courses to be based out of Rhu Marina this summer.
Anna Burnet, pictured with her Olympic sailing partner John Gimson, and Lorenzo Chiavarini (inset) have been made honorary members of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club
The club also plans to offer a new series of coastal rowing sessions, also based at the marina, after using a generous donation to buy a 22-foot St Ayles rowing skiff.
The club is recruiting members for its rowing section, and commodore Jim Rogers is excited about a new venture which he says will offer a chance to easily get on the water and exercise in a social or competitive way as part of a five-person crew. Anyone interested can contact the club for details.
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