A BUDDING teenage sailor is celebrating after receiving a top award for clocking up 100 nautical miles off the west coast of Scotland.

Alder Grange student Kimberley Hartley has been given the ‘Competent Crew’ sailing award through the Royal Yachting Association, which included sail handling, rope work, fire precautions and emergency equipment.

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The 14-year-old from Rawtenstall has been a keen dinghy sailor for a number of years and is an active member of Rossendale Valley Sailing Club.

Her ultimate goal is to become a marine biologist and she also plans to do a course in scuba diving.

She has already completed three stages of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) youth sailing scheme and races at club level.

The teenager has also signed up with the Lancashire School Sailing Association where she will be part of a Lancashire team, sailing in a national event on Rutland Water in the East Midlands later this summer.

Ahead of the event she is looking for grants to enable her to get a competitive boat.

The year-nine pupil at the Rawtenstall school has a keen interest in sailing larger boats and spends Wednesday evenings studying RYA Day Skipper Theory.

She successfully completed her certificate, which covered meteorology, chart work, tidal heights/flows and pilotage.

Dad Matt Hartley said Kimberley put some of her experience into practice in April last year.

He said: “She was an active crew member on a 46’ Yacht, Lancastrian, covering over 100 nautical miles including some night sailing on the south coast.

“Kim visited lots of harbours, bays and villages including Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Tarbert, Inverkipp, and anchored just south of HMNB Faslane.

“Kimberley saw a porpoise, some seals and jellyfish which she was very excited about.”

Jo Griffiths, head of school at Alder Grange, said: “Kimberley has done extremely well to achieve these qualifications while still working hard on her studies.

“We are very proud of her and will continue to support her quest for success.”