WYRE Forest sailing sensation Alison Young put in a right royal performance in the RYA Youth Championships after meeting Princess Anne.

The 17-year-old Bewdley High School student finished first female and second overall in the 104-boat Laser Radial fleet after completing 11 races.

During the competition at Largs Sailing Club, in Scotland, Young got chance to rub shoulders and chat to HRH Princess Anne, who is president of the Royal Yachting Association.

On day one she achieved a fourth and two first placed finishes in a round robin series of races in winds of between 12 and 14 knots.

Although she suffered a poor 16th place in faster winds in the opening race of day two, Young was able to discard that result and recovered with a first and a fourth.

With the competitors split into two fleets on day three, Young coped well with the 35 knot winds and difficult conditions of Gold fleet to secure a fourth and fifth and maintain her overall positions.

Only two races were held on day four with a change of wind direction affecting conditions, but Young still produced two fifth places and overcame a gear problem to secure a creditable 16th from day five's only event.

Her consistent results saw her finishing as RYA Laser Radial Female Youth Champion 2005, joinging an illustrious list of previous winners including 2004 Olympic gold medalists Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton.

Youngs efforts have resulted in the Severn Trent Water sponsored sailor being selected to represent Team GBR at the Volvo ISAF Youth World Championships at Busan, Korea, in July.

The event is classed as the Youth Olympics and is regarded as the highest accolade a youth sailor can achieve.

Her mother Pat said: "It is a just reward for the effort and determination Alison has put into her sailing over the past two years as a member of the National Youth Squad."