Just six years after his father bought him a small sailing boat to use on the nearby water, Bellanoch 15-year-old Lorenzo Chiavarini has been offered a place in the RYA National Laser Radial Youth Squad for the coming season.

Lorenzo, who moved from Rome to live in the Argyll village permanently six years ago, after spending part of each year there since toddlerhood, impressed selectors in three qualifying events this summer, the final one at Weymouth last weekend.  He is the only Scot amongst the 13 males in the squad.

Not bad for a young man who started out at just 9-years-old when his Dad bought him a dinghy for his dog to sail in!

“The GB squad was my ultimate goal this year and I had to finish in the top 10 of every qualifier,” said a delighted Lorenzo, a member of three yacht clubs in Scotland; Royal Northern, Helensburgh and Tarbert.

Few are more pleased than Duncan Hepplewhite, Lorenzo’s coach for the past two seasons.

“Lorenzo is hugely committed to the sport, and has been ever since he started sailing,” said Duncan.  “He’s doing it full time and for somebody of his age that is a real challenge, not because of the physical side of things, but the enormous sacrifices he has to make in other areas of his life in order to do that.

“He has been competing against the whole of the UK to try and get into the GB squad so this is a huge achievement for him.

“Being a member of the squad means he will be exposed to the best coaches and training available in the country and also the best sailors; you only get better by competing against the best people. 

“The squad will give him the best opportunity to improve himself and hopefully at coming events and qualifiers to gain selection for major events such as the European and the World Championships.”

Lorenzo has already been successful at international level. Last year, sailing Toppers, he was fifth in the World Championships and third in the British Championships. A year before he had won a race as part of the World Championships in Garda.  He had been in the British squad for Topper sailor and Junior Laser 4.7

It’s been all change this season though after the teenager moved up the Laser Radial class, the junior version of the standard Laser rig - the hull is identical but the sail is smaller.  Supporting him through this transition are his coach, RYA Scotland and the West of Scotland Institute of Sport (WSIS).

The WSIS helps its athletes by providing top-quality training facilities locally, access to sports science, a fully integrated strength and conditioning programme, sports medicine and performance lifestyle services.

“I’ve had great support from Duncan, the RYA and West Institute,” said Lorenzo.  “Every Tuesday I go to the Palace of Art in Glasgow for Strength & Conditioning training. I used to struggle with my fitness and strength but now with their help I’ve improved and it’s made a dramatic difference.  I’m a bit too light for the boat and they’re helping with that too.  I get help with nutrition and physiotherapy too.”

Reaching this level in the sport has demanded astonishing levels of commitment from Lorenzo and his family.  One thousand mile round trips to train and compete on the south coast of England have become an almost weekly fixture. 

But the effort and the many sacrifices have all been worthwhile.  “I get so much out of the sport and I’m hoping to take it all the way to the Olympics,” said Lorenzo.

RE-J