Emmett puts East Grinstead on map

Sailing star Jon Emmett capped a memorable year being crowned Inland Nationals champion, finishing first in every race.

The 31-year-old Weir Wood Sailing Club member's latest triumph came at Carsington Reservoir, Derbyshire, having won five races last weekend.

He held off the challengers in a 70-strong line-up, which had been depleted from an expected 100 following such poor conditions.

It cemented a perfect year for Emmett, who returned home recently for fitness training at East Grinstead Sports Club as he continues his comeback from a serious neck injury which had threatened his career.

Emmett also won his inaugural Byte World Championships title at Weymouth along with the Radial Nationals crown in Abersoch, Wales, also topping the Radial Nationals rankings for 2008.

Emmett said: "It was a more of a relief to remain top of those rankings to be honest. But this was the eighth time in nine years that I had won the Inland Nationals title, so I was really delighted with my latest success.

"The conditions were really cold, wet and windy, so it was great to come home with a trophy after all of that effort. After all, half of the fleet did not even finish the course in Saturday's third and last race, with everybody finding it so tough.

"Being the last event of the season made it a brilliant achievement for me, having won every possible race.

"This has been a really tough year for me but I could not have hoped for a better finish to it and now I must concentrate on my fitness work ready for next year.

"And winter has suddenly appeared which makes it harder to get quality hours on the water."

The 2009 calendar looks like being another busy one for Emmett with several key dates being targeted. They are the Radial Nationals in Paignton and Radial World Championships in Brazil in July, and the Radial Europeans in Denmark next August.

And there is also an invitation on the table to contest the Byte World Championships in Singapore in late summer with a free flight and boat making the attraction even more appealing.

Emmett, who is currently stepping up his efforts to secure further sponsorship, is determined to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, where Weymouth, his base for most of the year, will be the venue.