At yesterday's boatshow, Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal presented the prestigious RYA Yachtmaster of the Year award to Dr Philip Meakins, a General Practitioner in Southampton.

Described as an outstanding candidate during his Yachtmaster exam examiner Nigel Rennie praised Dr Meakins saying that "…his passage planning was meticulous & logically presented, his close quarter boat handling under power and sail was faultless with a MOB demonstrated as second nature, knowing the yacht's characteristics exactly. Nothing phased him and everything happened calmly…".

On receiving his award Dr Meakins said: "It was refreshing to see that the RYA's Yachtmaster scheme continues to offer a way into training for those of us who have learnt from experience over many years and not just collected all the 'stamps' in the book. I'm now a great believer in good training and a big fan of the way the RYA's respected training schemes help keep the regulators in the real world".

Dr Meakins, 56, is a doctor who lives and works near Southampton, who started sailing at the age of six. He has over 30 years of family cruising throughout Europe and racing experience in the Solent and the Channel; most recently in an Impala and on board his Sigma 38 Festina Lente, pictured.

The RYA Yachtmaster qualification is the most widely recognised professional yachting qualification in the world. It is the ultimate aim for most yachtsmen.

James Stevens, RYA Training Manager and Chief Examiner, commented:"Dr Meakins is the best of over 2500 yachtmasters that the RYA examined in 2006. He has sailed all his life and was an outstanding candidate who demonstrated exceptional competence in every part of the syllabus
Dr Meakins received the RYA Yachtmaster® trophy donated by the Royal Institute of Navigation as well as a £500 Gul International voucher for top of the range Gul International oilskins.






Yachting Monthly, 11 January 2007