A HARROGATE schoolgirl has won the Royal Yachting Association’s Regional Youth Champion Award for the North-East following a world class season of success.

Beth Miller is a member of Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club and one of 11 young sailors and windsurfers from across the UK to win the annual awards.

The awards recognise the outstanding dedication, achievement and performance of talented young people in the sport and will be presented by Ian Walker, double Olympic silver medallist and RYA director of racing, at the RYA Dinghy Show at London’s Alexandra Palace on March 3.

Beth, 14, has enjoyed a season of success which included finishing second overall at the RS Tera Pro World Championship at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in the summer.

She said: “Whilst this achievement has made me realise anything is possible if you work hard and believe in yourself, I am now even more determined to improve my focus and performance.”

Yorkshire Dales SC Training Principal, Erica Caswell, said Beth has shown ‘great dedication and determination’ in sailing.