Testing conditions add zest at youth powerboating final
Camille and Harry to represent the East at National Final
Two young hopefuls will now spend the next six weeks of their summer holidays honing their skills in readiness for the national final of the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship at PSP Southampton Boat Show on September 12.
Harry Lucas (13) and Camille Redman Baber (11) are the winners of the RYA Eastern Region round of the competition after a thrilling, action-packed regional final at Canvey Island on Saturday (17 July). Harry, a Cadet member of The Island Yacht Club, Canvey, won the 12 to 16 age group and Camille, who along with elder sister Sophie and younger brother Lewis is a member of Paxton Lakes SC, won the eight to 12 age group in the competition.
The competition mixes high levels of boat handling skills with a race against the clock. Both proved they could handle the tides of the river Thames and the strong and gusty westerly winds as well as produce faultless rounds.
Harry is the youngest competitor to win the senior group at the regional final. He concentrated on an accurate penalty-free run on each of his two runs of the demanding course.
Camille had a clear first round but collected penalties on the second when, like a lot of others, the wind and tide drifted her clear of a key man-over-board segment. She admitted that coming from a still water inland lake the tide set had taken some getting used to.
One of the more astonishing rounds was that of Christopher Gladwin from Fishers Green, taking part in his first competition and having not driven a RIB prior to his local heat, who laid down two almost identically-timed runs with a mere seven hundredths of a second difference. He took the third place slot in the younger age group.
Altogether 23 youngsters aged between eight and 16 from all over the Eastern Region took part in the final at The Island Yacht Club, Canvey Island. All had successfully completed in one of four local area heats, run at Stubbers Adventure Centre, (near Ockenden, Essex), Fishers Green Sailing Club (near Walthamstow, Herts), Alton Water (near Ipswich) and Paxton Lakes Sailing Club near St Neots, Cambs. Between them they represented nine clubs and youth organisations.
The first three in each age group went through to Saturday’s final.
RYA’s youth RIB manager Adrian Bannister told the youngsters: “You’ve all done extremely well to get to the regional final. You’ve shown you understand what’s needed to be a good powerboat driver. You are the future powerboat instructors of the future and you must go on to take your Level 1 and 2 powerboat courses.”
Regional RYA HYR Co-ordinator Garth Cooper said: “This has been a fantastic year for the competition in this region. We’ve had even more clubs asking to join than ever before. We’ve got offers from clubs to hold a couple more heats next year, which could see us crack the magic 100 youngsters taking part.
“Powerboating is still a fast growing sector of the sport. These youngsters, many of whom also sail dinghies, will be more responsible and better powerboat handlers because of this competition.
“I’m sure Harry and Camille will do us proud at Southampton in September.”
Both youngsters will have the benefit of fine-tuning their skills under the beady eye of current Honda RYA Youth RIB national champions Aaron Lowther (IYC) and Steve Curtis (PLSC). They both won two years running and have now been appointed RYA East Youth RIB Ambassadors. Aaron is now too old for the competition, but Steve, who won the junior group two years running expects to return to competition perhaps next year, in the senior age group.
A final word from our new regional champions: “Cool. I still can’t believe I won. It hasn’t sunk in yet.”
The Honda RYA Youth Rib Championship, sponsored by Honda and Ribcraft, is a National Championship in which 8-16 year olds RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) drivers can demonstrate their boat handling skills in a race around the clock with the goal of winning a 5m Ribcraft or a Honwave T40 for their club.
David Hodgkinson, Marketing Communications Manager for event sponsor Honda said: "Our continued association with the RYA Youth RIB Championship allows us to inspire and encourage young people to pursue their passion for boating and engage in worthwhile team-based social activities. Furthermore it allows us to underline our commitment to safety and best practice – something which we take extremely seriously as a major manufacturer of engines and inflatables.”
For more information about the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship, details on how to get involved and a list of regional finals scores click here.