For most schoolboys, having their very own boat would seem like a dream come true.
But Jamie Paterson has channelled his passion for life on the waves into competitive success on the grand stage.
And the 13-year-old, from Findhorn, has managed to accumulate two engine-powered vessels – each worth £4,000 – after winning the same national contest in two separate years.
Jamie secured both Honda Honwave T40 inflatable craft after taking the top prize at watersport tournaments in Southampton.
Though the novelty of boat ownership was not new to him, the Forres Academy pupil could not hide his delight when the new machine recently arrived at the spot where he practices his skills.
And within minutes of taking delivery of it, he and his friends jetted off into Findhorn Bay to try it out.
Jamie said: “I’m really happy to have it, even though it’s my second one.
“It means a lot to me because of the achievement it represents more than anything else.”
The final took place at the Southampton Boat show, and Jamie had to navigate a rigid-inflatable boat (Rib) around a set of buoys in as quick a time as possible to win the prize.
Jamie said that practicing on Findhorn Bay played a large part in his success, as he is used to its choppy conditions and therefore finds it easier to manoeuvre his craft in calmer waters than his opposition do.
Now, Jamie says he’s going to need a bigger boat to continue his success at national competitions.
He said: “I will keep competing, with the hope of winning a bigger boat so that I can take part in different events.”
Jamie won the Royal Yacht Association’s Honda Youth RIB Challenge at the end of September.
He defeated his closest competition in the eight-12 age group by just one second in a nail-biting climax to the event.
He first won the contest in 2014, when he was 10.
The new dinghy, which is powered by a Honda engine, was delivered to Findhorn marina on Sunday.
