Budding sailor blitzes the field

Shannon Dalton blew away her rivals to recently become awinner in her first year of sailing at the Australian Optimist Yachting Championships held at Manly in Queensland.

The nine-year-old from Leschenault, who has been sailing for only 10 months, amazed friends and fellow competitors to be victorious in the green fleet section at the championships.

The youngster, who takes to the water like an old ‘‘sea salt’’, beat a field consisting ofmany older competitors.

‘‘You can race until you turn 16 in the optimist section and there were a lot of people older thanme in the races,’’ Shannon said.

‘‘I get really nervous before I go in events.’’

Her efforts seemed to indicate otherwise as she finished with six wins and two seconds during her race round.

Shannon’s mum Tracey Dalton said she did not know where her daughter’s natural yachting ability came from.

‘‘Neither I or my husband Darren had anything to do with sailing, we only got involved when Shannon’s brother, who had leukaemia, went to a Camp Quality sailing event on the Swan River more than five years ago,’’ Mrs Dalton said.

Shannon’s brother Jayden, who finished a creditable 37th out of a field of more than a 100 competitors in the Open section at the recentNationals, influenced his younger sister to take to the water and she has not looked back.

Mrs Dalton said both her children head to Perth each weekend to further develop their skills in the sport.

‘‘The kids race out of South Perth Yacht Club so my husband and I have to travel to Perth once, sometimes twice a week,’’ she said.