Sailing: Vines slowly creeps up on title-holder

BEN VINES, a 20-year-old medical student at Southampton University, upset the form book to topple the holder of the last two years, Andy Beadsworth, and win the BT RYA National Match Racing Championship yesterday, writes Stuart Alexander.

Light winds made for fluky conditions and the final was curtailed to a best of three.

Vines, second in the local qualifier last week, with Olympic bronze medalist Ossie Stewart, David Munge and Martin Borrett as crew, he came from behind on the final run of the first race as Beadsworth left him to exploit a private vein of breeze on the right hand side of the course.

Then he survived a penalty against him after working the left hand side on the first leg of the second race only to collide with Beadsworth at the turning mark. He had enough in hand to stay in front and become the youngest winner of a competition firmly based on grass roots participation.