MALVERN teenager Jo Lucas has won a place in the Royal Yachting Association Volvo 29er national youth squad.

The 17-year-old Chase Technology College sixth-form student has worked her way up from Avon Sailing Club to national level.

Lucas started off in a Topper dinghy on the River Severn and has now been included on the programme to develop the best young British sailors.

Twelve months ago, she teamed up with fellow topper sailor Philippa Gray, of Trowbridge, in the 29er and they have gone from strength to strength.

They were 11th in the RYA Youth Championships at Largs, Scotland, in April and achieved good results in opens before travelling to Lake Garda, Italy, for the World Championships in July but strong winds resulted in disappointing results for everyone.

However, 22nd overall and first all-girl crew at the National Championships at Hayling Island, Hampshire, in August secured selection to the youth Squad.

Lucas and Gray were one of only five teams to be selected for the squad, which started training this month.

They have also been selected to attend tailored support training at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where the Olympic sailing takes place in 2012.

Lucas recently triumphed with Worcestershire at the National Schools Sailing Association Topper Team Racing Championships at Hollowell Sailing Club, Northamptonshire.

They finished first competing against 29 teams from across the country and won the coveted HMY Britannia Gig’s Yoke trophy.

Lucas was joined by fellow Chase pupil Rosie Smith, 17, and Droitwich High School’s Dan Pingstone, 17.

The winners only dropped one race in qualifying, entering the semi-finals in first place with eight victories.

Worcestershire won on a third play-off race against MCS before beating Northampton ‘B’ in the final with two consecutive successes.

They were coached by Alastair Lucas, Jim Rosser and Becky Thomas, who came second in the championship in 2008 but were too old to compete this year.

Worcestershire will host the event next year at their home club, Upton Warren Outdoor Education Centre, near Bromsgrove.

Meanwhile, Lucas is hoping to study English at university and has recently landed a job with SailRacer, an online events reporting facility.

She is supported by Lynall Boats of Cheltenham but would welcome any other financial backing and can be contacted at JoannaKLucas@aol.com or on 01684-565718.