Youth Sail Racing Programmes
Date for your diaries:
RYA Youth Championships & Trials 2008 - 29th March - 4th April 2008, Pwllheli SC. There will be some measurement on Saturday the 29th March then measurement all day on Sunday 30th. Racing will be from Monday 31st until Friday 4th April 2008
* 2008 RYA Guide to Junior & Youth Racing – now available!
The annual RYA Guide to Junior & Youth Racing has been updated and republished for 2008 and is now available from RYA Youth Racing. The guide is a vital resource for sailors and parents keen to understand the training and competition opportunities at every stage of the RYA Youth Programme. Additionally, it outlines cases studies of elite sailors who have progressed through the programmes and how, as well as how to set about becoming or contracting a Racing Coach. There are also details of forthcoming RYA events and the Volvo RYA Keelboat programme. The guide will be available free from all RYA major events, and conferences but should you like a copy posting to you please e-mail your name and address to frances.wilson@rya.org.uk
Progressing through the Squad ProgrammesFor sailors keen to progress through the various youth and junior squad programmes all the way to the highest level it is vitally important that they move to the next squad along the pathway at the right time. This will enable sailors to take on board the appropriate skills at the right time yet still leave themselves enough time to both master the next class and be successful in the racing arena.
To do this sailors and their parents need to bear in mind the big picture and not get sidetracked into making decisions that will hamper the sailor at the next level. There are many cases of sailors who have stayed too long in a particular squad or class. Whilst this has helped them to do well in that class, often by being bigger or older, the result has been to reduce the amount of time they have had available to them in the next class. Other sailors, often in their peer group, who have moved on at the right time, have therefore had more time to get to grips with the next class and deliver results. Sailors staying on too long in the previous class often find it very hard to close this gap again before being out of youth age.
Taking a long term view can help here as there is a final cut-off point. The last year that sailors can benefit from the Youth Programme is the year in which they are 18. At the planning stage it is often easier for sailors to start counting back from there, making sure they have put in enough time to be successful at each level, from zone squads, through junior and youth squads and then on in to the next level of racing.
This also applies to sailors coming into the sport at a slightly older age, or for sailors who develop slightly later on. Such sailors can still access the programmes and be successful performance sailors, as long as they make sure they step into the right class for their age just as soon as they can manage it.
Ideal Pathways
There are of course many different pathways through the programmes and sailors have made it through to the highest level by taking a wide variety of routes. Some have even missed out entire stages, others have only joined the programmes at the senior level. Nevertheless, sailors wanting to make the most of the opportunities available within each squad programme should try to stick to the pathway that will give them the best chance of being successful in the long term, if that is indeed their goal.
It is important to bear in mind some of the differences between single-handers and double-handers, between preferred routes for girls and boys, and between dinghy and windsurfing routes. For example, whilst singlehanded girls only have one class to master at youth level (Radial), boys have to fit in two (Radial and Laser Standard) and so need to leave themselves enough time to do so. Furthermore, many sailors find the double-handers much more challenging technically than some of the single-handers or junior classes and therefore benefit from leaving themselves a little more time to get to grips with this new dynamic in their sailing.
It is also important to consider the different roles in the boat – crew and helm. Currently there are fewer talented crews available in comparison to helms. All sailors, girls and boys, should seriously consider the role of the crew in planning their sailing. The two roles are of equal importance and responsibility yet demand very different sets of physical and technical skills, especially from youth level and onwards. Sailors should consider the skills they possess carefully and make a move to the front of the boat if that is appropriate for them. The RYA is always keen to help sailors develop into world class crews and is working on programmes with this specific aim - to find out more about the different Junior & Youth Squads see information under National Youth Squad, Transition Training, National Junior Squad & Zones.
