HRH The Princess Royal to attend the Youth Nationals

Great Britain’s top youth sailors will have the chance to show off their talents in front of a Royal audience after confirmation that HRH The Princess Royal will be attending the 2016 RYA Youth National Championships (2-8 April).

The Youth National Championships are the premier event on the youth racing calendar, and the start of the racing year. Over 300 sailors are expected at the event in North Wales, held at the brand new Welsh National Sailing Academy Facility which opened last summer.

Having previously attended the RYA Youth Nationals in Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, Dorset in 2014, HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Royal Yachting Association, will visit Plas Heli to see the latest crop of talented sailors coming through the ranks on Friday 8 April.

Mark Nicholls, RYA Youth Racing Manager: “The Princess Royal has always been a strong supporter of the Youth National Championships, and it will be a pleasure to have Her Royal Highness in attendance at the event once again.

“The Youth Nationals represent a winters’ hard training for our squad sailors and the opportunity to win selection to many international teams as well as travel grants.

“We also welcome any youth sailor from around the country who may want to compete in a safe national environment for the very first time.

“It’s a prestigious event with many of our Rio 2016 Olympic sailors having won the event in the past including Giles Scott, Nick Thompson and London 2012 silver medallists Hannah Mills and Luke Patience. HRH’s presence will no doubt inspire the next generation of British sailors to work hard, compete fairly but intensively and make friends with rivals from all over the country and the world as part of the RYA’s premier youth racing competition,” concluded Nicholls.    

Racing will be held for boys in Laser Standards, girls and boys in Laser Radials and RS:X 8.5 windsurfers, and for all-boy, all-girl or mixed crews in 420s, 29ers and Spitfire catamarans.

Details of eligibility and entry criteria can be found in the Notice of Race and deadlines are below.

Laser Radial, 29er and 420
Entry Deadline – midnight Sunday 13 March 2016
Late Entry Deadline – midnight Sunday 20 March 2016 (will incur a late fee and entries will not be accepted after this time)

Laser Standard, RS:X and Spitfire
Late Entry Deadline – midnight Sunday 6 March 2016 (will incur a late fee and entries will not be accepted after this time)

Enter here.

You can follow the event build-up and see the action unfold on the new event website, British Youth Sailing Team Facebook page and on Twitter at @RYAyouthracing. Share your comments with us using #RYAYouths.

Article Author RYA 1/3/2016 15:30