A PUPIL and staff member at a Colwyn Bay school teamed up to gain success at a national sailing competition.

Rydal Penrhos Sixth Former Zac Blomeley and head of sailing Max Todd achieved a podium finish at the Emergence of Seasons Championship, which was held at the Queen Mary Sailing Club last weekend.

The duo were competing in the RS800 event for the first time and coped extremely well with the freezing conditions to emerge from the first round of racing in third spot.

They headed into the final day’s action in fourth spot but turned in another notable effort which ensured their debut competition in the category resulted in a third placed finish.

This is the latest in a long line of triumphs for the pair ahead of what promises to be another successful campaign for the Rydal Penrhos programme.

Allen Boyd, director of sport at Rydal Penrhos, said: “Mr Todd is not only a highly skilled coach, but also a very skilled competitor on the water which is a huge asset to us here.

“He leads by example and has proven to be an exceptional role model for our young sailors, who are thriving under his leadership and hopefully this will continue during the upcoming campaign.

“Zac’s accomplishments are there for all to see and he continued to show exceptional progression thanks to the work he is putting in with our staff, and his determination to test his skills against the best young sailors in the world.”