SAILOR Mark Heather, from Wilmington near Dartford, has won the Marina Developments Limited Yachting Journalists Association Young Sailor of the Year Award 2001 for the South East Region. The fifteen-year-old has had an outstanding year with victory in the Topper Class at the NSSA Regatta, the Irish Topper Nationals, the Topper South East Zone Volvo Championships, the Topper Southern Area Championships and the London and South East Traveller.

He also placed 2nd in the GBR Topper Nationals. In 2000 Heather won the Topper World Championships in Ireland and was also a member of the winning Kent team at the 2000 National Schools Sailing Association Team Racing Championships.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted to have won this award. It has been a very hectic year for me with some great successes and to be awarded the MDL YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award for the South East as well is just great."

The YJA Young Sailor of the Year, designed to recognise endeavour and achievement by young sailors, is open to all those under 19 years of age and competition for this year's awards was particularly fierce.

Heather is still in the hunt for the overall Young Sailor of the Year title. A shortlist of three will be selected from the 12 regional winners from which the YJA members will then elect the overall winner. The winner will be announced on Friday, January 4 during the Boat Show ball at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.