Coral set for a life on the open waves

A TALENTED young yachtswoman is setting sail for her dream career after picking up her A-level grades.

Ripon Grammar School student Coral Watt has won a scholarship to the top nautical college in the country after gaining A, B and C in geography, maths and physics, alongside her AS level in further maths.

Her aim is to qualify as a master mariner and captain a cruise ship: “I will be training on a variety of ships from icebreakers and cargo ships to cruise liners and, once qualified, will be able to work anywhere in the world on any vessel,” she said.

"I am delighted to be starting this new venture and seeing the world at the same time. Teachers always say you can't get a job looking out of the window, but the captain of the Queen Mary 2 told me that is exactly what this job is!"

Her place on the Merchant Navy degree scheme at Fleetwood Nautical Campus is being sponsored by Trinity House London.

The three-year BSc (Hons) course in nautical science and marine operations management, in addition to officer of the watch certificate of competency, involves at least 12 months at sea.

“With further qualifications I could progress to be a master mariner and captain of any vessel in the world,” she added.

Cadets from Fleetwood Nautical Campus have won the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Officer Trainee of the Year award ten times in 17 years.

Coral, 18, from Dishforth, juggled her A-level studies with part-time work at Grantley Hall hotel as well as being a Royal Yachting Association dinghy sailing instructor.

Coral, who has been on boats with her parents since she was six months old and started sailing herself when she was seven years old, has helped run races at Ripon Sailing Club.

At school, she performed in the brass ensemble, wind band, senior girls’ choir and chamber choir in addition to being a pastoral prefect.

She also took part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Award scheme last summer, which involved a week with no internet and a variety of outdoor activities to learn about successful leadership and teamwork.

*More than 70 per cent of all grades achieved at RGS were at A*-B and 43 per cent at A*/A, with two students achieving a clean sweep of four A* grades and five further students achieving three A* grades and above. Overall the school, which consistently tops North Yorkshire’s A-level results table, saw its 144 students receive a total of 83 A*s.