Rising sailing star Zac Littlewood has taken out a major award in his home State, WA, after winning the Hyundai Junior Sports Star crown at the RAC WA Sports Star Awards at Optus Stadium on February 7.

Littlewood beat a star-studded field that included Rhiannon Clarke and Sophie White (athletics), Alexandria Choate (canoe slalom), Nikita Hains (diving) and Ben Popham (swimming).

The junior sport star award has been won in recent years by soccer’s golden girl Samantha Kerr, who was crowned The West Australian-RAC Sports Star of the Year for second time, Olympic gymnasts Allana Slater and Lauren Mitchell, world-class golfer Minjee Lee and Olympic swimming silver medallist Tamsin Cook.

Zac, also a finalist for the award last year, enjoyed a magnificent 2018 when he won the Laser Radial World Championships, one of Australia’s youngest ever open class world champions.

He claimed third place in the World Junior Championships at Corpus Christi in the United States and capped his outstanding year when he was crowned National Youth Sailor of the Year at the Australian Sailing Awards.