Olympic Sailing Champion Returns to his Roots
by Clare Butterfield 15 Feb 2022 11:36 GMT
Dylan Fletcher-Scott, Gold medallist in the 49er sailing class at the Tokyo Olympics, along with crew Stuart Bithell, returned to his roots recently when he sailed at Northampton Sailing Club.
Dylan, who started sailing at the age of 11, returned to the club at Pitsford Reservoir where it all began. He took part in the Steve Nicholson Trophy, an annual open meeting with handicap races for both single and double-handed boats.
The event raises money for Asthma UK in memory of Steve Nicholson, a young, popular and talented sailor at Northampton who tragically died after an asthma attack in 2000. This year's event raised over £2000 for Asthma UK.
Dylan's parents, who still live nearby, also came to support the event, along with Dylan's wife, Charlotte, also a talented sailor and Olympic Silver medallist.
This time Dylan was sailing an International Moth - the fastest one-person dinghy in the world, which is designed to hydroplane on foils. It was a new prototype he'd only collected a couple of days before, so he was trying it out for the first time. Unfortunately the light winds meant that it was very challenging to foil upwind and reach its usual high speeds.
After the racing, Dylan presented the prizes to the winners and took part in a Q&A session. He described his fond memories of spending time at Northampton Sailing Club, learning to sail, and being taught and encouraged by other club members. He also talked his Olympic sailing experience: the training and preparation, handling the pressure but still managing to enjoy the racing.
Dylan had also brought along his gold medal, and kindly showed it off to sailors both young and old. They all agreed that it was an awesome, inspiring experience.
Dylan Fletcher-Scott received an MBE in the 2022 New Year's Honours for services to sailing.
Membership of Northampton Sailing Club is open to anyone of any age who is interested in water sports, from complete beginners to experienced paddleboarders, windsurfers and sailors. Taster sessions and sailing courses are also available. For more information visit www.northamptonsailingclub.org or email