Another of Rydal Penrhos’ talented sailing group has been given a significant boost to continue training amid coronavirus restrictions.

Freddie MacLaverty, a Year 8 pupil at Rydal Penrhos School in Colwyn Bay, has been in tremendous form on the water of late and he recently joined Llion Morris in being granted ‘Elite Athlete’ status by Sport Wales, which means the aspiring star can train and develop his impressive skills under social distancing guidelines.

Training through COVID-19 restrictions implemented by the Welsh Government will ensure Freddie is ready to hit the ground running during upcoming competitions, in addition to his ongoing involvement with national squad programmes.

Freddie joined the Rydal Penrhos community as a Year 3 pupil back in 2015 and it didn’t take long for the youngster to showcase his passion for all things sailing as part of the school’s RYA Accredited provision.

His exploits on the water in recent years has seen Freddie go on to attain some remarkable individual achievements, with one of the highlights seeing his partnership with Keira Luke attaining the U18 General Handicap Fleet crown at the British Youth Sailing Welsh Regional Championships.

Freddie was part of the Team GB squad for their winter training programme last year and his recent development was further reflected in a second-place finish overall at the RS Tera Pro UK Nationals Championships over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

This saw Freddie become the latest pupil to be awarded a sports scholarship premium by Rydal Penrhos, which includes a £500 contribution each year from the school to further his talent.

A mentor will meet with him half termly to discuss progress in his sporting arena and on how the money will most wisely to advance him whether it be in terms of buying specialist coaching or equipment.