FOURTEEN-year-old Sam Sills from Tavistock College was crowned the under-15 world windsurfing champion after a gruelling contest in the Balearic Islands last week. Sam, 14, emerged victorious at the 2007 Techno 293 World Championships after 45 boards, 17 points ahead of his nearest rival. After six days of sailing in mixed wind conditions it was Sam who dominated the 6.8 fleet and Ali Masters, also from the Great Britain team, who did the same in the Under 17 boys? fleet. Forty five competitors took part in the under 15 contest with over 200 participants overall from 14 countries, representing three continents. The 2007 Junior, Youth and Masters World championships was held on the island of Formentera. A member of the Royal Yachting Association windsurfing squad, Sam, who lives at Lawhitton, was the only under 15 in the RYA team at the championships and is currently ranked number one in the UK. After a 6th placing at the event last year, Sam was determined to improve on that which he did in style. He has dominated the under 15 fleet in the UK this year and has been very well placed in the under 17 fleet as well. His father Dr Richard Sills said Sam had been windsurfing for four years and had got into it from doing ?a bit of dingy sailing?. He has travelled across the country competing and also to Poland, Cadiz and Sicily. Sam regularly trains at Roadford Lake. Dr Sills said: ?We are delighted for Sam because he trains really hard and the six day championship was a lot of hard work.? Dr Sills said Sam would have to decide after the age of 17 whether he wanted to compete to get into the youth fleet which can ultimately lead to the Olympic Development Fleet. Sam said the world championships were great fun: ?It was great to get such a good result, I met lots of new mates from different countries and look forward to seeing them all again,? he said.