The Royal Yachting Association

Three of Britain’s most promising young Junior sailors are celebrating today after being named as the latest recruits to the Musto Academy at the 2008 RYA Eric Twiname Championships.

Optimist hotshots David Grant and Tom Britz and up-and-coming RS Feva helm Alex Mothersele will receive a of a range of technical and casual sailing clothing from Musto for the next 12 months as part of their initiative to recognise and support emerging talent in the RYA Youth and Junior programmes.

Launched in 2007, under the banner of ‘Achievement through Adventure’, the Academy recognises those sailors who may not have actually already won medals but have shown the potential and desire to make the most of their talent while also acting as a positive role model for other sailors in their age group or class.

And following the announcement of the three latest Youth Academy recruits at the RYA Youth National Championships and Trials last month, Junior selectees Grant, Britz and Mothersele have now joined Youth trio Izzy Hamilton, Martin Evans and Sophie McKeeman in the 2008 Musto ranks.

Grant, 13, from Falmouth, finished last year as the country’s top ranked Optimist sailor having been a member of the RYA National Junior Squad since 2005-06. He follows in the footsteps of elder brother James, a 2007 Junior Academy sailor who won the Laser Radial class at the Youth Nationals, and has been selected for the Optimist Worlds this summer while also pursuing a Laser 4.7 Worlds campaign.

Lymington’s Britz, 14, finished narrowly behind Grant in the 2007 Oppie rankings but has also been selected for this summer’s Optimist World Championships in Cesme, Turkey from 14-25 July.

Reigning RYA South Zone Feva champion Mothersele, 15, is expecting a busy 2008 as he plans dual campaigns for both the Feva and 29er Worlds. Having been a member of the RYA Optimist National Junior Squad between 2004-2007, the Emsworth youngster won the Oppie Nationals at Weymouth last July before opting to concentrate on the double-hander.

Meanwhile, millpond conditions at Rutland Water put paid to any racing on day one of the 2008 RYA Eric Twiname Championships.

In otherwise glorious weather, the 340 assembled sailors representing the six English zones and three Home Countries enjoyed a day of organised shoreside activities including table tennis, swingball and swimming while RYA Topper Head Coach Dave Cockerill also presented a series of talks on wind shifts and wind around the race track.

After racing was cancelled for the day at 3.45pm, Robbo’s Magic Men, the team from the North West Zone windsurfers, won the highly-competitive human table football competition.

Racing is scheduled to start tomorrow (Sunday) at 10.30am with no warning signal after 3pm. For full details on the 2008 RYA Eric Twiname Championships visit www.ryaracingevents.org.uk